ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Animal Welfare, Ethics & Veterinary Jurisprudence: practice questions

1 · Vetero-legal wounds and deaths · hard

Two sheep were shot with the same shotgun and cartridge type. One has a single large wound with singed wool; the other has scattered pellet wounds over a wide area without singeing. What is the most reasonable inference?

1. The second was shot from close range, because pellets spread most near the muzzle
2. Both were shot from the same distance; the spread depends only on wool thickness
3. The first was shot from close range and the second from a greater distance
4. The scattered wounds are exit wounds produced by the same shot as the first

2 · Vetero-legal wounds and deaths · easy

A buffalo is found dead suddenly with dark unclotted blood oozing from the nostrils and anus and no rigor mortis. What should the veterinarian do first?

1. Open the abdomen immediately and collect the spleen for bacterial culture
2. Examine a peripheral vein blood smear stained with polychrome methylene blue
3. Certify death by lightning and arrange burial without further examination
4. Send the whole carcass by road to the laboratory without examining it at all

3 · Vetero-legal wounds and deaths · medium

A spear enters the left side of a bullock's chest and passes out through the right chest wall. How is this wound classified?

1. Penetrating wound
2. Perforating wound
3. Lacerated wound
4. Incised wound

4 · The vetero-legal post-mortem · easy

Why is a vetero-legal post-mortem preferably carried out in good daylight?

1. The law makes any examination done after sunset automatically invalid in court
2. Putrefaction stops during daylight hours, so findings remain stable
3. Colour changes such as bruising and congestion are judged most accurately
4. Insects that destroy evidence are active only after dark in most regions

5 · Collection and dispatch of forensic samples · medium

Cattle in a South Asian village are killed by 'sui': small pointed spikes driven into the skin. What is the poison and the typical local lesion?

1. Abrin from Abrus precatorius seeds; oedema and necrosis around a puncture
2. Ricin from castor seeds mixed in feed; haemorrhagic gastroenteritis only
3. Oleandrin from oleander leaves; ulceration of the mouth and tongue only
4. Strychnine from nux vomica; no local lesion but early rigor mortis only

6 · Species identification · easy

A food inspector suspects that cooked sausages labelled as mutton contain beef. Which method is the most reliable for identifying the species?

1. PCR targeting species-specific mitochondrial DNA sequences
2. Ring precipitin test with antisera raised against raw meat
3. Comparing the colour of the fat with reference samples
4. Measuring the melting point of the extracted fat

7 · Species identification · medium

Why are mitochondrial genes such as cytochrome b preferred over nuclear genes for identifying the species of processed meat?

1. Mitochondrial DNA is identical across all mammals, so one test fits all
2. Nuclear DNA is destroyed by refrigeration, but mitochondrial DNA is not
3. Each cell has many mitochondrial copies, which survive processing better
4. Mitochondrial genes are inherited from both parents, doubling the signal

8 · Species identification · medium

A bullock has six permanent incisors in wear and two deciduous corner incisors. What is its approximate age by the usual textbook guide?

1. About 1.5 to 2 years
2. About 3 to 3.5 years
3. About 5 to 6 years
4. About 2 to 2.5 years

9 · Frauds in the livestock trade · easy

What is 'bishoping' in the horse trade?

1. Filing the horns of an old cow smooth to remove the rings that show age
2. Placing ginger in a horse's anus to make it carry its tail high at sale
3. Cutting and burning false cups into incisors to make a horse look younger
4. Blowing air into a mare's vagina to make her appear to be in early foal at sale

10 · Frauds in the livestock trade · medium

What is 'gingering' in the horse trade?

1. Placing an irritant such as ginger in the anus to raise tail carriage at sale
2. Dyeing grey hairs on the face with a ginger-coloured stain to hide true age
3. Feeding ginger to mask a respiratory noise during the trot at the sale ring
4. Rubbing ginger on the coat to hide skin lesions from a prospective buyer's inspection