Animal losses are easiest to confirm and evaluate if examination is conducted soon after losses occur. Examination of wounded animals and fresh kills is relatively simple. Carcass decomposition, which is rapid during warm weather, obliterates evidence. Scavenging birds and mammals also can eliminate evidence, frequently in a few hours. When the cause of livestock loss cannot be readily determined, assistance may be necessary.
Veterinarians can identify and treat internal parasites and other diseases which kill livestock.
Where poisonous plants cause loss, county Extension agents and range specialists can help identify these plants and devise corrective management procedures. Poisoned animals may require treatment by a veterinarian.