Unexpected Death of Veterinary Patients: A Practical Guide to Complete Necropsy for the Clinical Veterinarian

Necropsy procedures can be completed efficiently and timely if a systematic approach is established. This approach will ensure that all organ systems are evaluated grossly and samples collected for histopathology. Obtaining digital photos is helpful for documentation and sharing with the veterinary pathologist if samples are referred to a diagnostic laboratory. Often, toxic causes of animal death have subtle gross lesions; therefore, establishing essential organ and fluid collection for broad toxicologic screening may help pinpoint the cause of death. Risk assessment of zoonotic potential should also be considered. The quality of the sample submitted to the referral laboratory will directly impact the quality of the diagnostic evaluation. Packaging and shipping samples are equally crucial, as formalin fumes may affect cytological specimens, bacterial isolation, and downstream molecular diagnostics. The lecture will demonstrate cases where the systemic necropsy approach helped elucidate the cause of unexpected animal death in the veterinary setting.