Informativeness of postmortem dynamics of skeletal muscles of dog and cat corpses for forensic veterinary diagnosis of death due to acute hypoxia

Abstract

The relevance of the study is conditioned by the need in the practice of forensic veterinary expertise to establish the statute of limitations for the occurrence of death of dogs and cats during the investigation of crimes against animal health and life. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to solve diagnostic forensic veterinary problems regarding the informative value of postmortem disorganisation of skeletal neck muscles of dog and cat corpses within 72 hours after the death of animals. The main methods of investigating the diagnostic information content of postmortem dynamics of skeletal muscles of dog and cat corpses for forensic veterinary determination of the conditions and prescription of death due to acute hypoxia are those that can be comprehensively considered the identified problem, in particular, Papenheim-Kryukov staining of smears, slides – hematoxylin and eosin, fluorescein isothiocyanate, and Shabadash staining. The forensic veterinary diagnostic significance of two expert criteria is justified: “the number of patterns of disorganisation of the neck muscles of dog and cat corpses” and “glycogen content in the neck muscles of dog and cat corpses”. It is proved that biotransformation of skeletal muscles occurs in the following sequence: during the first 24 hours after the death of the animal, postmortem stiffness of the muscles of corpses occurs, accompanied by dehydration, compaction, contraction of myofibrils; muscle relaxation is observed from 24 to 48 hours after death, myofibrils are stretched and swollen; from 48 to 72 hours, autolysis of muscles is recorded under the influence of saprotrophs. It was found that the destruction of skeletal muscle tissue is more intense in the case of death due to suffocation compared to death from poisoning, and the destruction of muscle tissue is more dynamic in the case of death due to freezing compared to death caused by drowning in cold water. For the first time, the results obtained will contribute to solving diagnostic forensic veterinary tasks, in particular, establishing the statute of limitations and conditions for the occurrence of death of dogs and cats during the investigation by law enforcement agencies of crimes related to animal cruelty