With the increasing number of hunting accidents and gunshot wounds seen by the practitioner it is important to know the result of wounds created by different types of firearms. This information is of value to both the small and large animal practitioner. Most of the literature available comes from publications of human war wounds in Vietnam, the Korean conflict, and World War II. The wound will vary as to the type of firearm used (high velocity vs low velocity), the trajectory angulation, and distance between the firearm and target. The type of ammunition used, its mass, and velocity are also factors that should be considered. The specific gravity of the tissues involved may also influence the extent of the injury. There is no one treatment regime in the management of these wounds, and each case should be treated as a separate entity
