Untangling a cat’s cradle: Diphacinone, acetaminophen, trauma, and multiple deaths in a Kentucky cat colony [Scholarly Case Report - Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments, June 2021]

Title:

Untangling a cat’s cradle: Diphacinone, acetaminophen, trauma, and multiple deaths in a Kentucky cat colony 

 

Authors:

Megan C. Romano, Uneeda K. Bryant, Lynne M.C. Cassone, Jennifer G. Janes, Michelle N. Helm & Kyle A. Francis 

Authors are from the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, PO Box 14125, Lexington, KY, 40512-4125, United States

Published:

Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments, 6 June 2021

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666937421000111

Abstract:

This manuscript describes an animal cruelty investigation in which several cats from a feral colony were suspected of having been poisoned. Three of the cats were submitted for complete postmortem examination by a qualified veterinary pathologist, and appropriate toxicologic analyses were selected and interpreted by a qualified veterinary toxicologist. Diagnosis in poisoning cases requires communication and collaboration between the pathologists and the toxicologist. A truly definitive diagnosis is not always possible in poisoning cases, particularly in a forensic investigation – a court of law requires a higher standard to establish a cause of death than do routine diagnostic cases. This case series illustrates the importance of a thorough diagnostic workup in forensic animal death investigations.