Necropsy

Question 1

What is a necropsy?

Answer 1

Postmortem examination of an animal’s body

Question 2

How is a necropsy an important diagnostic tool?

Answer 2

Often practiced to help determine cause of death in animals dying for unknown reasons

Question 3

When should you do a necropsy?

Answer 3

Perform necropsy immediately after death before autolysis begins

Question 4

What is the standard equipment used in a necropsy? (4)

Answer 4

1. Necropsy knife
2. Sterile surgical instruments (scalpel, thumb forceps)
3. Specimen collection containers (sterile bags, formalin jars)
4. Bone shears

Question 5

How should you place the animal for a necropsy?

Answer 5

Place animal in dorsal/left lateral/right lateral recumbency

Question 6

Where do you make the first incision?

Answer 6

Make midline skin incision from the lips to the pelvis

Question 7

What do you do after the first incision? (5)

Answer 7

1. Reflect the skin from the underlying musculature
2. Cut ventral muscular attachment of limbs to splay them out
3. Cut open the abdomen
4. Cut open the thorax
5. Remove the internal organs

Question 8

What should you do when collecting a sample for a culture?

Answer 8

follow aseptic technique

Question 9

What should you do when collecting a sample for histology?

Answer 9

Place in formalin, 1:10 ratio

Question 10

What should you do when collecting a sample for toxicology?

Answer 10

Choose appropriate ones

Question 11

What do you need to do for a submission of collected specimens? (3)

Answer 11

1. Cool tissues before shipping
2. Postal Service regulations require a leakproof container for mailing
3. Send by courier for delivery to diagnostic lab as soon as possible