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Practical PM Examination

The document outlines the six steps involved in a post-mortem examination (necropsy) of animals, which include obtaining history, external examination, opening the body, removing organs, examining and sampling organs, and writing a report. It emphasizes the importance of thoroughness in the examination process to avoid missing critical information. Additionally, it provides detailed instructions on how to conduct each step effectively.

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muhammadtalhasattar97
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5 views

Practical PM Examination

The document outlines the six steps involved in a post-mortem examination (necropsy) of animals, which include obtaining history, external examination, opening the body, removing organs, examining and sampling organs, and writing a report. It emphasizes the importance of thoroughness in the examination process to avoid missing critical information. Additionally, it provides detailed instructions on how to conduct each step effectively.

Uploaded by

muhammadtalhasattar97
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION

(NECROPSY)

Dr. Muhammad Imran


Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology,
UAF
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION
(NECROPSY)
THE CONSISTENT ROUTINE ENTAILS 6
STEPS:

1. Obtain history
2. Examine the animal externally
3. Open the body
4. Remove the organs and set aside for detailed
examination and sampling
5. Examine and sample the organs
6. Write the report
POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION
(NECROPSY)

• There is often a tendency to move quickly


to the suspected lesion or body system,
which risks missing important
information.

• A good necropsy involves paying attention


to ALL the clues that can be provided

• If animal is alive, select the most humane


method of euthanasia
1. Obtain the history
• Age
• Specie/breed
• sex of affected animals
• husbandry conditions (including housing,
feed),
• Clinical signs,
• Any treatments administered and whether the
animal died or was euthanized.
• How many animals are affected?
• Have there been any recent additions to the
herd or flock?
2. External examination
• Many people believe a necropsy begins when
you start using the knife.

• But if you neglect to look at many external


aspects of the carcass, some key findings can
be missed.
2. External examination
• Examine the site where the animal was
found for clues:
predators (dogs), lightning, poisons
and poisonous plants,
• signs of trauma.
• Evaluate the general body nutritional and
hydration status.
2. External examination

• Look at the external orifices for any discharges


and for color of mucous membranes.

• Are there any skin lesions or external


parasites?
Sunken eyes are an Check the teeth to determine
indication of dehydration the age of the animal.

Look carefully at the skin for any


evidence
of skin lesions or external parasites.
2. External examination

• Examine all mucous membranes –


mouth, nares, conjunctiva, anus, vulva or prepuce -
for any discoloration or other abnormalities. • Look
in the external ears - any exudates? Parasites?

• How are the joints? Are any swollen?

• How about the feet - any lesions here? Look between the
claws.
3. Open the body

• The next step in the necropsy is to expose the


internal organs. Place the animal on its left side.

• Ruminants recumbancy?
• Horse?
• Dog/cat?
• Pull the right front leg up, insert knife into skin and cut
from the inside out to reflect the fore limb.

• For the hind limb, lift the limb, insert knife, cut through soft
tissues and then insert the knife at the coxofemoral
junction, cutting through the teres (or round) ligament, so
that the hind limb can be reflected also.
Now connect the two openings by slicing along the
ventrum (once again from the inside out) to cut through
the skin along the ventral abdominal wall.
• Now it is time to complete the cut in the skin by extending
it to the the mandible.
• Peel back the skin.
Here is what the carcass looks like now
• Ballotte the abdomen gently – is there any fluid?

• How do the subcutaneous tissues “feel”? If they are a


little “sticky”, it means the animal is dehydrated.
• the next step is to expose the viscera. First, cut a window in
the abdominal musculature and remove the abdominal
muscle. Begin by making a cut that goes parallel to and just
behind the last rib (see the arrows in the lower left picture).
• It is a good idea to “tent” the muscle a little as you
make your first cut, to avoid cutting through the viscera
beneath.

• Once an opening is made, continue to pull the muscle


away from the viscera as you cut. If you nick the
intestine, the peritoneal cavity can become a mess and
is harder to evaluate.
• Using rib cutters, cut through the ribs at both the ventral and
dorsal aspects, and remove the ribs.
• Alternatively, in young animals, the ribs are soft enough that
you can just cut through the ribs ventrally and then push back
the ribs, breaking them at the dorsal portions.
Note the color, position, and size of all organs and look for
any adhesions or accumulations of fluid within cavities.

In the case of exudates at any of the surfaces, now is the time


to take samples, using swabs or syringes.
4. Remove the organs
• Examination of the organs within the body is not very
efficient.
• The following organs are removed and placed next to the
carcass:
respiratory tract with heart, tongue and esophagus
(“pluck”),
rumen/abomasum/intestines, liver, urogenital tract,
reproductive tract, brain.
• Insert the knife between the tongue and the medial surfaces
of the mandible. Gently tug to pull the tongue ventrally.
You will have to cut some muscle attachments of the
tongue to the area of the mandibular symphysis.
• Once the tip of the tongue has been pulled through the
mandible insert pressure to pull the tongue backwards.
• Connective tissue surrounding the esophagus and trachea are
teased away as the pluck is pulled ventrally and caudally.

Pull the tongue/trachea/esophagus caudally and cut where the


pericardium is attached to the ventral body wall.
At the level of the diaphragm, it is necessary to cut the three
attachments (aorta, esophagus, caudal vena cava.) holding the
pluck to the abdominal viscera.
Set the “pluck” – tongue, esophagus, trachea, heart, and lungs
– aside, in a clean area.
separating the liver, Gall bladder
Insert your hand up above the
intestines and rumen to find the
kidney
Cut the intestines at their connections with the liver (bile duct)
and pull away from the body cavity
Remove the rumen (spleen is tightly adherent to rumen). Cut
the attachments of the spleen to the rumen and set the spleen
down in a clean area.
After the head is disarticulated, peel the skin dorsocranially
over the skull.
Once the calvarium is exposed, make three cuts with a saw.
• In examining and sampling, we usually go from the
“cleanest” to the “dirtiest”.
Usually this order is: lymphoid tissue, brain, lungs,
heart, kidneys, reproductive tract, liver, intestinal
tract.

• Note any abnormalities for each (color, size, shape,


consistency, exudates).
• Be sure to examine both capsular and cut surface.
• Make several cuts in each organ.
• Collect specimens for further diagnostic work.

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