You know when you see that case, usually some sort of traumatic injury , where something feels a bit 'off'. Maybe the story doesn't fit the injury, or it's the third time you've seen this patient in the last few months. Whatever it is - there are alarm bells... In this episode forensic veterinarian Dr Elizabeth Pearlman tells us why it's so important that you listen to those alarm bells, how to get better at hearing them, while sharing a structured plan for what to do about it to help us bring a bit of light to the darker aspects of human-animal interactions, without compromising your own wellbeing. Dr Elizabeth Pearlman is a forensic veterinarian for the ASPCA’s Veterinary Forensic Science Center in Gainesville FL. A childhood of watching Animal Cops on Animal Planet sent her on her path to veterinary science and eventually a Masters degree in Veterinary Forensic Science. She has practiced as a private practice emergency veterinarian and as a staff veterinarian for the Houston SPCA, and In 2018, she joined The ASPCA full-time as a forensic veterinarian. In her position, she assists law enforcement agencies nationwide with the identification, documentation, and collection of forensic evidence from crime scenes, live animals, and deceased animals. Additionally, she authors reports based on her findings and testifies in court as an expert witness. In this episode Liz gives us a peek into the career of a forensic vet. She shares practical advice and resources on how to deal with cruelty and neglect cases, including evidence gathering, documentation, reporting, working with law enforcement and even how to get over your fear of being an expert witness in court. If you feel like this might be the job for you - Liz also lays out a few possible career pathways for us. Topic List: 01:56 - The Reality of Forensic Veterinary Work 02:26 - Case of Suspected Chicken Abuse 03:42 - Abby's Case: A Deep Dive 07:43 - Impact of Forensic Work on Animal Welfare 08:14 - Veterinary Forensics Education and Reporting 11:07 - Another Case Study: Khaleesi 14:07 - Discussion on Non-Accidental Injuries 16:12 - Overview of a Forensic Vet's Role 18:53 - Forensic Veterinary Opportunities in the U.S. and Abroad 22:31 - Educational Resources and Career Paths in Forensic Veterinary Medicine 25:54 - Handling Suspicions of Animal Abuse in Practice 28:33 - Emotional Challenges in Forensic Veterinary Work 36:01 - Importance of Detailed Documentation in Suspected Abuse Cases 38:21 - Court Appearances and Testifying as a Forensic Vet 40:08 - Maintaining Emotional Health in Forensic Veterinary Roles 43:56 - Closing Thoughts and Stoic Philosophy in Veterinary Practice Resources from Dr Pearlman: Aspcapro.org ASPCA One Pagers (PDFs are downloadable on this site) Minimum Standards and Best Practices for the Clinical Veterinary Forensic Examination of the Suspected Abused Animal Continuing Education Opportunities: International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association Florida International University – Professional Science Master’s in Veterinary Forensics VMX VIN Vets are welcome to visit Dr Pearlman and her team in their facility for case review/mock necropsy practice. If interested, email Dr Pearlman directly at [email protected] or submit a request. Trial our clinical subscription for free at ⁠vvn.supercast.com ⁠to access the show notes for this episode and to listen to all 500+ of our clinical episodes. Get help with your tricky cases in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Specialist Support Space.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us through our online ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vet Vault Networ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠k⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for episode highlights, clinical resources, discussions, questions and support. Subscribe to our ⁠weekly newsletter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for Hubert's favourite clinical and non-clinical learnings from the week. Join us for a snow conference in Japan or in Wanaka with Vets On Tour: email [email protected] for details. (And tell Dave I sent you for your 10% discount!)

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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