Veterinary Archives, Vol. 88 No. 2, 2018.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24099/vet.arhiv.161118a
Temperature reduction in internal soft tissues in relation to rectal temperature in dogs in the early post-mortem period
Piotr Listos
; Department of Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Magdalena Gryzińska
; Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Justyna Batkowska
; Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Małgorzata Dylewska
; Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Biology, Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Abstract
Until recently the rectum was the main site of temperature measurement in a carcass, due to its well-known heat loss mechanism. For more precise determination of time of death, researchers have begun to look for additional sites for temperature reading, such as the brain or soft tissues. Hence the main objective of the study was to compare the temperature reduction in the soft tissues of internal organs with the decrease in rectal temperature in a dog carcass. As most literature data pertain to humans, whereas in animals such measurements are performed sporadically, we aimed to investigate the potential use of post-mortem measurement of the heart, lung and liver temperature in a dog in order to establish the time of its death. The material for the study consisted of 20 dog carcasses divided into two weight groups (small - up to 15 kg and large - over 15 kg). The difference in temperature reduction between the small and large dogs was statistically significant, while the type of organ was not found to affect the rate of the decline in temperature.
Keywords
veterinary forensics; time of death; post-mortem temperature; heart; lung; liver
Hrčak ID:
197974
URI
Publication date:
2.4.2018.
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