TECHNICAL CONSULTATION IN PURCHASE OF ANIMALS: CASE REPORT.

Introduction and aim of the study - Today it is common to request the advice of a Technical Consultant to solve problems pertaining to veterinary medicine (evaluation and quantification of the value of an animal, quantification of the damage, determination of the defect, etc.), in view of the increased incidence of litigations arising from congenital and/or hereditary diseases. This note reports a case of technical advice with regard to a testicular ectopia to clarify if this pathology can be considered as a redhibitory defect. Materials and methods - A Labrador Retriever male dog is sold with a certificate of good health. After some months of the sale, an accuracy physical examination was performed. The dog was diagnosed to have an absence of normal testicular descent. Following this discovery, the buyer brought an action against the seller claiming damages, lack of conformity and avoidance of contract. In order to ascertain that this disease could be viewed as a redhibitory defect, an expert opinion was required from a veterinarian. Results and discussion - The pathology observed in this animal can be specifically viewed as redhibitory defect, since this is a serious disease, pre-existing and not easily recognizable.