Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ฌ are a type of ammunition, which are basically small balls made of lead, steel or other metals. They are most commonly used in bird and game hunting.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Technically any animal can get shot by a shotgun, however most of the ones that end up on the necropsy table are dogs ๐ข
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Dogs tend to get shot when they are wandering at large, and end up on an unfriendly neighbourโs property. In many places, shooting at a dog that wanders onto your property is legal.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
Obviously, shotguns are meant to harm what they are being fired at! In some cases, a stray pellet may simply lodge into the skin, and eventually become surrounded by scar tissue. This is probably the best outcome from a shotgun injury. Direct shots can severely disfigure the animal or rupture critical organs, leading to death.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Diagnosing shotgun pellets in an animal is thankfully quite easy! Because they are metal, they show up as ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐จ-๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ (white) on X-rays.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Bullet wounds can be treated, but often require extensive surgical procedures to remove the pellets. This may include opening the abdomen or chest to remove bullets within the body cavities.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-3) X-rays of dogs shot with shotgun pellets. In one image, you can see how the dogโs lower mandible has fractured completely from the blast ๐ข
4-5) Shotgun pellets lodged into tissues.
6) An example of ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฑ, blood in the chest, from a shotgun pellet.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Winkler KP. Management of specific wounds in animals. Merck Veterinary Manual 2020.
Photos 1-6 ยฉ University of Calgary Diagnostic Services Unit.
