The Abuse You Might Be Missing: When Illness Is Fabricated in Veterinary Patients

A new study published in PLOS ONE (van Herwijnen et al., 2026) shines a light on a rarely discussed and deeply uncomfortable—topic in veterinary medicine: Animal Abuse by Falsification (AAF). While the profession has made strides in recognizing physical abuse and neglect, this paper suggests a more insidious form may be hiding in plain sight—one that hinges not on obvious injury, but on deception.