This guide is intended to aid beef cattle veterinarians as they discuss the value of performing necropsies with their clients. The guide has three parts: the first is a collection of images comparing normal organs with common cattle health abnormalities. The second is a review of practical necropsy procedures. The third is a set of guidelines for proper tissue sampling techniques and submission procedures.
This guide is intended to aid beef cattle veterinarians as they discuss the value of performing necropsies with their clients. The guide has three parts: the first is a collection of images comparing normal organs with common cattle health abnormalities. The second is a review of practical necropsy procedures. The third is a set of guidelines for proper tissue sampling techniques and submission procedures.
This guide is intended to aid beef cattle veterinarians as they discuss the value of performing necropsies with their clients. The guide has three parts: the first is a collection of images comparing normal organs with common cattle health abnormalities. The second is a review of practical necropsy procedures. The third is a set of guidelines for proper tissue sampling techniques and submission procedures.
Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:47 AM Page 2
I ntroducti on This guide is intended to aid beef cattle veterinarians as they discuss the value of performing necropsies with their clients. Beef cattle veterinarians can use this guide with clients to increase their understanding of proper necropsy techniques and resulting methods of diagnosis. This guide has three parts: The first is a collection of images comparing normal organs with common cattle health abnormalities. The second is a review of practical necropsy procedures. The third is a set of guidelines for proper tissue sampling techniques and submission procedures. This guide is not intended to be a fully comprehensive reference and should only be used in conjunction with veterinary consultation. 1 Elanco Animal Health Practical Necropsy Guide Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:47 AM Page 3 2 Eyes Conjun ctivitis variety of causes, including: IBR, mycoplasma, foreign bodies and other irritants Corneal lesion, diffuse corneal edema, starts at periphery Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF) Normal eye Corneal lesion, central corneal ulcer with neovascularization pinkeye Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:48 AM Page 4 Oral cavity, ulcers BVD ( ) Muzzle, shallow ulcers typical of viral diseases BVD, MCF, blue tongue and rinderpest Oral cavity, ulcers, hard and soft palate BVD Normal oral tissues 3 O ral Cavi ty Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:49 AM Page 5 O ral Cavi ty 4 Tongue, extensive ulcers (ruptured vesicles) vesicular disease Oral cavity, raised proliferative lesions, often with irregular edges, hard palate papular stomatitis Pharynx, retropharyngeal cellulitis (A ) caused by a penetrating wound (B ) balling gun injury Notes A B Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:50 AM Page 6 5 Esophagus, trauma ( ) penetrating wound, resulting purulent peri-esophageal abscess Normal esophagus, normal postmortemchange with mild anterior congestion and posterior pallor resulting frompostmortembloat Esophagus, bloat line at thoracic inlet; other supportive evidence includes: history, pallor and edema of hindlimb musculature Esophagus Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:50 AM Page 7 Esophagus 6 Esophagus, shallow erosions BVD Esophagus, extensive linear ulcers BVD Notes Pharyngeal mucosa removed from underlying structures, ulcers BVD Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:51 AM Page 8 Upper Respi ratory Tract 7 Larynx, necrotic laryngitis ( ) calf diphthe- ria Larynx, laryngeal edema allergic reaction; look for pulmonary edema or congestion Larynx, chronic laryngitis, small ulcer on epiglottis (circled)/laryngeal polyp ( ) Normal larynx Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:52 AM Page 9 8 Upper Respi ratory Tract Normal trachea, congestion, with intact mucosal lining can be normal postmortem change Trachea, tracheitis, adherent fibrinonecrotic pseudomembrane IBR Normal trachea Nasal cavity (nasal septum removed), fibrinopurulent rhinitis IBR Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:53 AM Page 10 Upper Respi ratory Tract 9 Trachea, tracheitis, adherent fibrinonecrotic pseudomembrane IBR Trachea (cross section), edema in dorsal mucosa ( ) honker syndrome Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:54 AM Page 11 10 Lungs Sampling procedures for lungs Include tissue as indicated by clinical signs or gross lesions Fresh sample size: 4 cm cubes of affected tissue Fixed sample size: 1 cm thick or less of affected tissue Bronchopneumonia, acute (shipping fever, typical of pneumonic pasteurellosis) ( ) Fibrinous pleuropneumonia; consolidated lung ( ) with pleural fluid (oval) and fibrinous pleuri- tis; solid line denotes sternum Normal lungs Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:55 AM Page 12 Lungs 11 Subacute shipping fever with fibrinous pleuritis ( ) Fibrinous pleuropneumonia (cut section) Bronchopneumonia, advanced, progressive, early abscesses in older part of lesion ( ) Bronchopneumonia, chronic with abscesses (1 ), emphysema (2) and atelectasis (3) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:56 AM Page 13 Lungs 12 Chronic pneumonia with atelectasis Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP); entire lung overinflated; individual lobules slightly firm Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) (cut section); interlobular edema and emphysema commonly seen with AIP Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:57 AM Page 14 Lungs 13 Acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP); note emphysema ( ) Embolic pneumonia (multifocal lesions through- out lung) ( ) hematogenous spread of bac- teria from lesions such as endocarditis and liver abscesses Aspiration pneumonia (gangrenous), necrotic lesion ( ) Parasitic pneumonia note lung worms (Dictyocaulus viviparus) in opened bronchi ( ) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:58 AM Page 15 Lungs 14 Pulmonary granuloma tuberculosis ( ) Lymph node, granuloma tuberculosis Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 9:59 AM Page 16 15 Normal heart Normal heart Heart, endocarditis ( ) blackleg Heart, pericarditis blackleg Heart Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:00 AM Page 17 16 Heart Heart, fibrinous pericarditis (pericardial sac reflected) Haemophilus somnus and other bacteria Heart, dilated right ventricle, rounded appearance right heart failure Heart, eosinophilic myositis (note pale areas in endocardium and myocardium) Heart (cross section), beef measles, tapeworm cysts of Taenia bovis ( ) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:01 AM Page 18 Heart Heart (cross section), myocarditis Haemophilus somnus 17 Notes Heart, myocarditis Haemophilus somnus, lesions most frequently located in papillary muscle ( ) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:02 AM Page 19 18 Li ver Normal liver Normal liver, postmortemchanges; superficial discoloration is common; incise lesion to determine significance Liver, abscesses Liver, nutmeg liver/accentuated lobular pattern commonly associated with chronic congestion, often due to heart failure Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:03 AM Page 20 Li ver 19 Liver (cross section), thrombophlebitis, sec- ondary to liver abscesses Liver, focal hemorrhage or necrosis; bacillary hemoglobinuria; necrotic lesion extends deep into tissue Liver, distended, thickened bile ducts liver flukes ( ) Liver (dark pigmented tracts) liver flukes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:04 AM Page 21 20 Uri nary System Kidney, acute pyelonephritis ascending bac- terial infections Kidney, renal infarcts ( ) Normal kidney Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:05 AM Page 22 Uri nary System 21 Kidney, pale moist cortex tubular necrosis, usually due to toxins such as aminoglycosides Kidney, hemoglobin stained due to hemolysis Bladder, urethral calculus Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:05 AM Page 23 22 Uri nary System Normal bladder Bladder, urinary calculi and cystitis Penile urethra, calculus Kidney, early hydronephrosis Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:06 AM Page 24 Gastroi ntesti nal 23 Normal rumen; postmortemchanges, loosening of rumen lining Rumen chronic rumenitis; note shortened papilli and scarring ( ) Rumen, inflammation rumenitis, mycotic; may be secondary to acidosis Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:07 AM Page 25 24 Gastroi ntesti nal Rumen, ulcers on rumen pillar Rumen, erosions BVD Abomasum, chronic ulcer ( ) Omasum, mycotic lesion may be secondary to acidosis Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:08 AM Page 26 Gastroi ntesti nal 25 Abomasum, small ulcers (BVD) Abomasum, parasites Ostertagia spp. Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:16 AM Page 27 Gastroi ntesti nal 26 Normal small intestine, typically thin-walled and pale Small intestine, hemorrhagic enteritis Salmonellosis; note thickened mucosa and bloody contents Small intestine, inflammation Salmonellosis; note enlarged lymph nodes ( ) Normal mesenteric lymph nodes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:17 AM Page 28 27 Gastroi ntesti nal Gall bladder and small intestine, fibrinous casts ( ) Salmonellosis Small intestine, acute enteritis Small intestine, Peyers patch necrosis BVD Small intestine, Peyers patch necrosis BVD Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:18 AM Page 29 Gastroi ntesti nal 28 Small intestine, parasites nodular worm, Oesophagostomum ( ) Small intestine, proliferative enteritis (J ohnes), not seen in animals less than two years of age Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:18 AM Page 30 29 Normal mesenteric lymph nodes Gastroi ntesti nal Normal large intestines Spiral colon, hemorrhagic mucosa coccidiosis Large intestine, inflammation coccidiosis Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:19 AM Page 31 30 Gastroi ntesti nal Large intestine, inflammation coccidiosis Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:19 AM Page 32 31 Musculoskeletal Hindlimb blackleg ( ) Normal hindlimb musculature Hindlimb muscle blackleg ( ); normal on right Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:20 AM Page 33 32 Musculoskeletal Hindlimb muscle, myodegeneration with cavitation injection site Hindlimb muscle, severe myodegeneration injection site; walled off area can retain signifi- cant antimicrobial levels for prolonged periods ( ) Muscle, scar injection site; muscle tissue is replaced by scar tissue and fat Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:21 AM Page 34 33 Musculoskeletal Normal joint; note clear, tenacious joint fluid ( ) Hock joint, acute synovitis; note excess cloudy fluid with fibrin ( ) Stifle joint, synovitis with large fibrin clots Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:22 AM Page 35 Brai n 34 Normal brain Brain, meningitis with congested vessels and cloudy meninges Brain, polioencephalomalacia with flattened cerebral gyri and cerebellar coning ( ) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:22 AM Page 36 35 Brai n Brain, laminar cortical necrosis ( ) polioencephalomalacia (formalin-fixed tissue) Brain, brain stem hemorrhage ( ), Haemophilus somnus (fresh tissue) Brain, laminar cortical necrosis ( ) polioencephalomalacia (fresh tissue) Brain, brain stem hemorrhage ( ), Haemophilus somnus (formalin-fixed tissue) Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:23 AM Page 37 Brai n 36 Brain, abscess ( ) Notes Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:24 AM Page 38 37 Practical Necropsy Procedures This section is intended to illustrate a set of practical procedures for performing necropsies on feedlot cattle. Understand and follow the requirements of your animal disposal service, especially regarding the proper technique used in opening the animals hide for thorough examination, as well as the specific policy for picking up animals whose cranium has been opened. Procedures Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:24 AM Page 39 Procedures 38 Examine conjunctiva and cornea. Note inflammation, opacity and ulceration. Examine oral cavity. Note lesions, such as ulceration. Start with the calfs left side down. Do an overall external examination. Record animal I.D. 1 3 2 4 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:24 AM Page 40 Reflect both right legs. Thoroughly expose pelvis to mandible. Make cut on ventral midline to maximize hide value. Note hemorrhages, inflammation and injection sites. Reflect abdominal wall and omentum. Note fluid, fibrin, inflammation and location of viscera. 5 6 Cut near the sternum (A ) and several inches below the spine (B ) with the cuts ending just dorsal and ventral to the trachea. Alternative methods include the careful use of a sharp axe. Knife method for rib reflection. Cut through costochondral junction and through intercostal muscles to reflect two ribs at a time by twisting and breaking (works best in younger animals). 7 8 Procedures 39 A B Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:24 AM Page 41 Procedures 40 Cut diaphragm and reflect rib cage. Examine pericardial sac in situ. Note presence of exudation, adhesions and extent of involvement. 9 Free tongue, esophagus, larynx and trachea. Examine pharyngeal area. Cut ventral to the spine and dorsal to the sternum to free thoracic organs. Open entire length of esophagus. Open larynx and trachea. Note mucosal integrity and differentiate inflamma- tory changes fromagonal and postmortemchanges (see page 8-9 for differential diagnosis photos). 10 11 12 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:25 AM Page 42 Palpate and cut through lung tissue. See pages 10-14 for differential diagnosis. Insert knife at the base of the heart, cutting to the apex, exposing both ventricles. Note alteration in chamber size, discoloration, inflammation and hemorrhage. Incise papillary muscles. Note myocardial and valvular changes. 13 14 15 Incise and palpate liver. Note evidence of discoloration, enlargement, changes to bile ducts and consistency (see pages 18-19). 16 Procedures 41 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:25 AM Page 43 Procedures 42 Incise right kidney (caudal to liver). Locate and incise left kidney. Avoid cutting intestines. Note areas of discoloration. Examine mucosa of several segments of small intestine. Note mucosal thickening, discoloration and exudation (see pages 26-28). 17 18 Incise mesenteric lymph nodes. Note enlargement. Incise spiral colon and cecum. Note mucosal thickening, discoloration and exudation. 19 20 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 44 Incise reticulum (A), omasum (B) and abomasum (C). Note inflammation, ulceration and contents. 21 Determine rumen pH. Note inflammation and contents. Examine rumen lining. Incise various muscles, depending on case history and other observations. Evaluate injection sites. 22 23 24 Procedures 43 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 45 Procedures 44 Expose stifle and other joints as deemed necessary. Note fluid amount and type. Brain removal.* Make first cut A, 1/3 of the distance between the eye and the poll. Cut Blaterally from first cut to the foramen magnum. Cut Cimmediately posterior to the foramen magnum. Pry open cranium and cut through meninges. 25 26 27 * Understand and follow the requirements * of your animal disposal service regard- * ing the proper technique used in * opening the animals craniumfor * thorough examination. Remove andexamine brainonly whenindications of Central Nervous System(CNS) disorders are indicated or there are no other significant necropsy findings. *Use appropriate care in brain examination in areas where rabies is a possibility. Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 46 Cut spinal nerves and remove brain. 28 Cut brain into longitudinal halves and cross- section as appropriate. See pages 34-36 for differential diagnosis. Replace organs into body cavity and close. 29 30 Procedures 45 Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 47 Sampli ng 46 If in doubt regarding sampling procedures, contact your diagnostic laboratory Take samples from regions of tissue that include lesion margins It is better to submit too many samples to your diagnostician than too few Communicate directly with your animal disposal services to provide themwith the information they require for each animal to be picked up*: Age of animal Cause of death Time and date of death *Some animal disposal services will not pick up an animal if the brain has been examined and/or removed for diagnosis. Guidelines for gaining the most information froma necropsy: Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 48 Intestinal sections Size: 10-20 cm sections Best, but not required, to tie off/close ends Other tissues Size: 4 cm cubes Sample affected tissues Sample tissues from other appropriate organs Brain* If indicated by history, place 1/2 brain in WhirlPak TM or other sealable container Rumen content If indicated by history pH can be determined on site with pH strips Shipping guidelines Properly label and seal WhirlPaks Use insulated container protected by cardboard box Include multiple frozen packs Only freeze samples if necessary for extended storage beyond 3 to 4 days 47 Whi rl Pak i s a t rademark of Nasco, Inc. Sampli ng Fresh Samples *Some animal disposal services will not pick up an animal if the brain has been examined and/or removed for diagnosis. Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:26 AM Page 49 18 Sampli ng 48 Intestinal sections Size: multiple 2 to 3 cm sections Do not tie off/close ends Major organs and other tissues Size: 1 cm thick or less Include tissues as indicated by clinical signs or gross lesions Brain If indicated by history, place 1/2 brain* in WhirlPak or other sealable container Proper packaging Properly label each container 10% buffered formalin solution Formalin volume must be 10X tissue volume In most instances, multiple tissue samples can be combined in a single container Shipping guidelines Seal in unbreakable containers Double-bag the package contents with absorbent material to ensure fluid containment Include completed submission form for lab (seal in separate plastic bag to keep dry) Include complete case history Include contact and billing information (contact name, address, phone, fax, account number) If not shipping immediately, hold for two or more days. Pour off majority of formalin prior to shipping. Fixed Samples *Some animal disposal services will not pick up an animal if the brain has been examined and/or removed for diagnosis. Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:27 AM Page 50 15 Acknowledgements 49 Elanco Animal Health respectfully thanks the following individuals for their professional contributions to this project: Bob Glock, DVM, PhD Roger Panciera, DVM, PhD Dan Scruggs, DVM, PhD Ted Clark, DVM, MVSc, Canada Large Necropsy Binder for PDF 4/22/02 10:27 AM Page 51 50 This practical necropsy guide is brought to you by Elanco Animal Health. Elanco and the diagonal color bar are trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. Micotil
is a trademark for Elancos brand of tilmicosin. Tylan
is a trademark for Elancos brand
of tylosin. Rumensin
is a trademark for Elancos brand of monensin sodium.
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