Latent physical defects of the musculoskeletal system of dogs: The scope of veterinary expert assessment under current legal definitions in consumer sales. A case study

In this case study, two veterinary expert opinions on latent physical defects of dogs sold were analysed. In both cases, a veterinarian was appointed as a court expert, primarily to determine whether a given animal had a disease and when it developed. However, the tasks of the veterinary expert were not limited to this. Case study analysis combined with legal analysis offerred a broader perspective on the sale of dogs in which the buyer is a consumer and the seller is a professional breeder. The study revealed defects understood as physical pathologies and deviations from the state of health of the dogs, as well as other types of physical defects within the current legal definition of a physical defect.