Lecture 4: hoarding

Question 1

4 classifications of animal abuse that are currently tracked by the FBI

Answer 1

a. Simple or gross neglect
b. Intentional abuse (physical abuse)
c. Organized abuse
d. Sexual abuse

Question 2

most common type of animal abuse

Answer 2

Simple or gross neglect

Question 3

types of basic care that are typically not provided to neglected animals

Answer 3

Basic necessities such as shelter, food, water, space, exercise, vet care

Question 4

neglect an act of omission or commission

Answer 4

omission

Question 5

two most common forms of large-scale animal neglect

Answer 5

puppy mills

hoarders

Question 6

Fails to provide minimum standards of nutrition, sanitation, vet care and fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (dz, starvation, death) or environment (overcrowding, extremely unsanitary) or negative effect of the collection on their own health and well-being and on that of other household members

Answer 6

animal hoarder

Question 7

does the definition of hoarding include a specific number of animals

Answer 7

NO

Question 8

physical exam findings in animals from hoarding cases

Answer 8

i. Muscle atrophy due to lack of exercise or space
ii. Urine scalding
iii. Dermatitis
iv. Covered in feces or urine
v. Behavioral changes from lack of exercise and space
vi. Overgrown nails

Question 9

c. Crowding and unsanitary conditions promote

Answer 9

pain and suffering 
Physical and mental stress 
Spread of dz 
Untx painful medical conditions 
Death from starvation or untx conditions

Question 10

most common and dangerous respiratory irritant typically encountered in an indoor hoarding environment?

Answer 10

Ammonia! Causes irritation to the mucosal lining of the entire airway

Chronic exposure even at lower levels is detrimental to animal health (inflammatory response, increased cortisol, decreased appetite, mucous membrane/eye and resp irritation)

Detected by humans at 10ppm or less. OSHA = levels above 50ppm are extreme irritants and over 300ppm is direct threat to health/life.

Question 11

some common medical conditions seen in animals from a hoarding environment

Answer 11

a. Malnutrition and starvation
b. Dehydration
c. Infectious dz; URI, giardia, external/internal parasites, ringworm, retroviruses, FIP
d. Effects of living conditions; lack of grooming
e. Severe dental dz
f. Stomatitis/oral ulcers
g. Ocular conditions
h. Neoplasia

Question 12

Imbalance of nutrients, nutrient deficiencies and nutrient excess

Answer 12

malnutrition

Question 13

T/F: starvation is not the same as emaciation

Answer 13

true!

Question 14

Exogenous, involuntary reduction in calorie intake correctable by nutritional support

Answer 14

starvation

Question 15

descriptive term given to severe, diffuse, debilitating loss of fat and skeletal muscle

Answer 15

emaciation

Question 16

endogenous dz, voluntary reduction of calorie intake (anorexia), increased catabolism, and disproportionate loss of lean body mass compared to adipose that is refractory to nutritional support

Answer 16

cachexia

Question 17

differentiate between emaciation due to starvation vs. cachexia

Answer 17

a. Feed the animal and see if it gains weight (if yes, then starvation)
b. Perform diagnostics and PE to determine if there is a disease process(es) present (red haircoat in starving cats due to reduced tyrosine)
c. Look for evidence of dz that could account for the emaciated state on PE

Question 18

two common behavioral manifestations of starvation seen in hoarding cases

Answer 18

a. Pica; animal was willing to eat and further verifies abuse
b. Chewing
c. Cannibalism

Question 19

14. What can be analyzed to measure starvation

Answer 19

a. Bone marrow fat analysis (developed for wildlife but applied to SA starvation cases); quantitative measurement of starvation. Post mortem interval may affect results.

can also assess the amount of fat, muscle, and look for serous atrophy

Question 20

last place the body utilizes fat from is the

Answer 20

bone marrow