ABSTRACT
Human forensic toxicology encompasses three subfields: postmortem forensic toxicology, human performance toxicology, and forensic drug testing. Forensic drug testing is the screening of body fluids or tissues from individuals to determine the presence or absence of illicit substances, such as would be conducted with workplace drug testing or court-ordered drug testing for parolees. The field of veterinary forensic toxicology is relatively small compared to human forensic toxicology, so most veterinary toxicologists tend to be “jacks-of-all-trades” and handle a variety of forensic toxicology cases as well as working in other areas of toxicology, such as research, teaching, and clinical toxicology. Veterinary forensic toxicology investigations are performed as frequently as their human counterparts because of several factors unique to veterinary medicine. Most veterinary diagnostic laboratories have developed nomograms of normal and toxic concentrations for common veterinary toxicants; assistance with interpretation of diagnostic laboratory results is another area where consultation with a veterinary toxicologist can be beneficial.
