SAVC Registration Examination Animal Welfare, Ethics & Veterinary Jurisprudence: practice questions

1 · Judicial procedure · easy

An owner sues a veterinarian in a civil court, alleging that negligent surgery killed her dog. What standard of proof must the owner meet?

1. On the balance of probabilities: that negligence was more likely than not
2. Beyond reasonable doubt, the same standard that applies to cruelty prosecutions
3. Scientific certainty, which requires a post-mortem showing the exact surgical error
4. A prima facie case only, after which the veterinarian must prove innocence

2 · Vetero-legal wounds and deaths · medium

Which description fits a firearm entry wound inflicted at close range?

1. Large everted irregular wound with protruding tissue and no burning at all
2. Wide scatter of small pellet holes across the flank with no singeing at all
3. Clean straight margins with tissue bridges and soot deposited deep inside
4. Small inverted wound with an abrasion collar, singed hair and powder tattooing

3 · Vetero-legal wounds and deaths · hard

A dog seized in a neglect case dies the day after seizure. Which post-mortem combination best supports a conclusion of prolonged starvation?

1. Plentiful subcutaneous fat, a full stomach of kibble and a normal body condition score
2. Fluid blood with scattered petechiae and a full stomach, but no other abnormality
3. Serous atrophy of fat in the marrow and around the heart, an empty gut and low body condition
4. Marked gaseous distension of the gut alone, whatever the interval since death

4 · Collection and dispatch of forensic samples · hard

A technician leaves unsealed, unlabelled bags of liver and rumen content from a poisoning case on an open bench overnight before labelling and sealing them the next morning. What is the main legal risk?

1. No legal risk at all, because the analytical result itself proves the poisoning
2. Only a civil risk to the practice, since criminal courts generally do not consider samples
3. Only a regulatory fine for late dispatch, which does not affect the evidence
4. A break in the chain of custody, so the defence may argue tampering or mix-up

5 · Species identification · medium

On a horse's upper corner incisor, Galvayne's groove extends about halfway down the tooth from the gum. What age does the traditional description suggest?

1. About 10 years
2. About 20 years
3. About 15 years
4. About 30 years

6 · Offences against animals · hard

You are asked by an inspector to examine twelve thin ponies in a neglect case. Which record will be most useful to the court?

1. Identity, body condition score, injuries, feet, parasites and the environment, photographed with a scale
2. A short note that the ponies looked thin and unhappy, so that the report remains easy to read
3. Only the post-mortem findings of any pony that dies, since live findings are not admissible
4. The owner's explanation of events, written up as your own conclusion on cause and duration

7 · Code of conduct and professional ethics · medium

An owner signs a consent form for a cruciate repair on her dog but is not told the likely cost, which turns out to be three times her expectation. Was her consent informed?

1. No, because cost is part of the information a client needs for informed consent
2. Yes, because a signed consent form is conclusive proof that consent was informed
3. Yes, because fees are a business matter and play no part in consent at all
4. No, because consent for surgery can be given only by the referring veterinarian

8 · Code of conduct and professional ethics · medium

An assistant veterinarian employed by a practice negligently injures a client's horse during a routine procedure. Who is usually liable to the client?

1. The employer, vicariously, as well as the assistant who was negligent
2. Only the assistant, because employers are never liable for employees
3. Only the client, because owners accept all risks of routine procedures
4. Only the veterinary regulator, which licensed the assistant to practise

9 · Animal welfare law · medium

What is the key legal advantage of a 'duty of care' welfare statute over an older anti-cruelty statute?

1. Penalties apply only after an animal has died, which makes cases easier to prove
2. Action can be taken before an animal suffers, when its needs are not being met
3. It removes the need for veterinary evidence in every welfare prosecution
4. It applies only to farm animals, leaving pets to the older cruelty laws

10 · Animal welfare law · medium

Which provision recognises animals as sentient beings in the law of the European Union?

1. Regulation 1/2005 on protection during transport
2. Directive 2010/63/EU on animals used in science
3. Regulation 1099/2009 on protection at killing
4. Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU