Veterinary Review Initiative
This resource has been reviewed for accuracy and clarity by a qualified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with farmed animal sanctuaryAn animal sanctuary that primarily cares for rescued animals that were farmed by humans. experience as of October 2024. Check out more information on our Veterinary Review Initiative here!

When a resident passes away, we are sometimes left with a number of unanswered questions. Some individuals pass away unexpectedly, leaving us wondering what happened and if we missed warning signs. Other times, an individual may have clearly been suffering from an illness but your veterinarian was unable to confirm a diagnosis before their passing. Even in situations where we have a confirmed diagnosis, we may have questions about how advanced the disease was or if a particular treatment was working as we hoped. When it comes to attempting to answer these sorts of questions, your best course of action will be to have a post-mortem examinationThe examination of an individual’s body after death to learn more about what led to their death, what was contributing to their clinical signs, the extent of disease, etc. conducted. While it can be difficult to think of our beloved residents being examined in this way, a post-mortem examination can be a very useful tool that comes with numerous potential benefits.

In this resource, we’ll provide a very basic, non-graphic overview of what a post-mortem entails and will also discuss what can be learned by having post-mortems conducted, situations when a post-mortem examination should be considered, and what you can do to help ensure you get the most benefit from post-mortem exams.

Necropsy vs. Autopsy
‘Necropsy’ and ‘autopsy’ are two terms used for post-mortem examinations. While the term ‘necropsy’ has traditionally been used to describe post-mortem examinations conducted on non-human animals and the term ‘autopsy’ has been reserved for post-mortem examinations conducted on humans, according to The American College Of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP), some veterinary hospitals and veterinary pathologists have started to use the term ‘autopsy’ in place of ‘necropsy.’ They describe a few reasons for this change, including the fact that the term ‘autopsy’ is more familiar to most folks and “reinforces the concept that [non-human] animal and human health are inextricably linked.” While the veterinarians you communicate with may continue to use the term ‘necropsy,’ it’s always important to think carefully about the language we use to communicate about our residents, which you can read more about here. To keep things simple, in this resource, we’re going to use the term ‘post-mortem examination.’

A Brief, Non-Graphic Overview Of Post-Mortem Examinations

Before we consider the purpose and potential benefits of having a recently deceased resident undergo a post-mortem examination, let’s take a moment to discuss the process. There is no need to get into graphic detail, but it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what the exam entails. In some cases, your primary veterinarian may conduct all or part of the exam, but in other instances, your veterinarian will refer you to a diagnostic lab where the exam will be conducted by a veterinary pathologist (a veterinarian who specializes in the diagnosis of disease via examination of body tissues and fluids). When working with a veterinary pathologist, you or your primary veterinarian will need to provide them with a detailed history of the circumstances of their death and what was going on leading up to their death. Similarly, if your primary veterinarian is conducting the examination and does not already know their history, you will need to provide it. This history can help direct the exam and help the person conducting it interpret their findings and any test results. If you have carefully recorded resident observations and maintained your resident’s health records, this will make the process easier. You may be able to provide these records to the relevant veterinarian, or you can use this information to fill in the history portion of the submission form to help give context to the post-mortem examThe examination of an individual’s body after death to learn more about what led to their death, what was contributing to their clinical signs, the extent of disease, etc..

A post-mortem exam consists of three parts. The first part is the gross (i.e., comprehensive) examination. During this part of the exam, your veterinarian or a veterinary pathologist will perform an external and internal evaluation of the individual’s body, looking for abnormalities, taking measurements, and collecting samples for further evaluation and testing. The second part is the histopathological examination. During this portion of the exam, tissue samples that were collected during the first part of the exam are examined microscopically. If your primary veterinarian has conducted the first part of the exam, they may submit samples to a diagnostic lab for histopathology. The final part of the process is ancillary, or supportive, testing, as directed by the pathologist or requested by you or your veterinarian. This may entail nutritional testing, testing to detect potential toxins, or testing to detect infectious agents (for example, bacterial cultures, virus isolation, titer testing, etc.).                  

With the individual’s history in mind, all of the information gathered during the various parts of the post-mortem exam is then synthesized to form what the ACVP describes as “a ‘best guess’ interpretation of what the physical findings likely represent.” While some findings may be easily interpreted, others may require supplemental testing to narrow the list of possibilities. You and/or your veterinarian will then be provided with a report outlining the findings and interpretations. Depending on the ancillary tests conducted, a preliminary report may be available initially and then a final report will be provided when all results are in.

Don’t Lose This Information!
Each resident should have a permanent record and this record continues to be important after they pass away. Be sure to attach the final post-mortem report to the individual’s permanent record so that if you ever need to revisit it, you can find it easily.

Thoroughly conducting a post-mortem examination and interpreting the findings requires a deep understanding of normal anatomy and the ability to recognize changes in tissue caused by disease (these are called lesions). This is why it’s important to work with veterinary professionals. While you may come across non-veterinary professionals who offer post-mortem exam services in your area, this is not something we recommend. 

In addition to having a veterinary professional conduct the actual exam, we also recommend having a veterinarian involved in the interpretation of the post-mortem report because making sense of it is not always straightforward. Your primary veterinarian can help you interpret the results and, depending on the situation, they may recommend conducting diagnostic testing on certain residents, testing food or water sources, or making changes to your care protocols in response to post-mortem findings.

Making Arrangments For Burial Or Cremation
While it will depend on your philosophy of care and also the feelings of the humans involved, caregivers may feel a sense of closure in being able to bring the individual home after the post-mortem. In some cases, you may be given the option to take the individual’s remains and arrange for burial, but this is not always an option. Some facilities that conduct post-mortem exams also offer cremation services (for an additional fee) that can be requested as part of the submission process. You may be given the option between a group cremation, in which you do not receive the individual’s ashes, and a private cremation, in which you do (with private cremation costing more than group cremation). Alternatively, they may offer to hold the individual’s body for a specified amount of time while you make arrangements with a local crematorium. We recommend checking the facility’s website or giving them a call to find out what services they offer.

What Can Be Learned From A Post-Mortem Examination?

There is much that can be learned by having a post-mortem exam conducted. This includes:

Learning More About What Led To A Resident’s Death

When we think about the purpose of a post-mortem exam, we may initially think it is to figure out the cause of an individual’s death, but it’s a bit more complex than that. As explained above, the veterinary professional conducting the exam is looking for changes to tissues (lesions) that can be seen with the naked eye or with a microscope. However, not all diseases create these changes. A post-mortem examination can be used to diagnose trauma, infections, toxicoses, nutritional imbalances, and certain diseases such as cancer. In fact, some health conditions can only be definitively diagnosed post-mortem. While a post-mortem exam can be valuable in the diagnosis of some diseases, there are also some diseases that are difficult to diagnose on a post-mortem. This includes metabolic disorders and diseases that cause organ dysfunction but do not create lesions. 

While it can be helpful to know the cause of a resident’s death (or the cause of their clinical signs leading up to euthanasia), unfortunately, providing a definitive cause of death is not always possible. However, it can be equally helpful to rule out certain conditions. In particular, ruling out conditions that would be likely to affect more than just one individual and would require immediate action on your part to protect other residents (for example, communicable diseases, toxicoses, and nutritional imbalances) can be very valuable.

Even if your veterinarian was able to make a diagnosis before the individual’s passing, conducting a post-mortem exam can be beneficial. Not only is this an opportunity to confirm (or refute) the diagnosis, but it also will give you and your veterinarian a clearer understanding of just how extensive the disease was, and in some cases, may give your veterinarian valuable information about the impact a particular treatment did or did not have. Additionally, it can uncover important information about additional disease processes that may have contributed to the individual’s death or factors that might impact the care of other residents at your sanctuary. 

Learning More About Their Overall Health

When a post-mortem is conducted, you and your veterinarian have the opportunity to learn about more than just what led to a resident’s passing. The veterinary professional conducting the exam may detect abnormalities that are valuable to know about even if they did not directly contribute to an individual’s death (incidental findings). For example, some internal parasitic infections are difficult to diagnose in living residents but can be easily diagnosed during a post-mortem. Learning more about the parasites that are affecting your residents can help your veterinarian make more tailored recommendations regarding parasite prevention and management.

In addition to incidental findings, there may be specific information you and your veterinarian want to know. For example, some species, such as sheep, are very susceptible to copper toxicity, and the best way to assess copper levels is with a liver biopsy. Given the invasive nature of a liver biopsy, this may not be a procedure you feel is practical or reasonable unless someone is showing signs of copper toxicity. However, because copper levels build up over time before causing clinical disease, and because the prognosis is poor once an individual shows signs of toxicity, your veterinarian may request copper testing for any sheep resident who undergoes a post-mortem. This way they can better assess if your residents’ current diet is appropriate or if changes should be made.

Similarly, if the individual underwent a surgical procedure that is not commonly done in that species or was treated with a drug that was used in an extra-labelExtra-label use means that a drug is used in a way other than what is described on the label or package insert. If a drug is used in a different species than what it has been approved for, this is extra-label use. Other examples include using a drug to treat a different condition than it is approved for or administering it in a different way than the directions describe. Extra-label drug use can only occur within the confines of a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship. manner, your veterinarian may be able to learn more about whether or not those interventions had the intended outcome or unintended consequences. Learning more about these interventions can help your veterinarian determine if they should be pursued again in similar cases.

Expanding Our Knowledge Of Farmed Animals Or Specific Health Conditions

Post-mortem examinations are an important way for you and your veterinarian to learn more about the species in your care and the health conditions they face. Knowledge gained through a post-mortem examination may help you both better understand and respond to similar health issues in the future. You may also learn things that cause you to reconsider certain care practices or protocols, making changes based on this new understanding.

Additionally, the knowledge gained during post-mortem exams can help expand what the veterinary world knows about farmed animalsA species or specific breed of animal that is raised by humans for the use of their bodies or what comes from their bodies. and the diseases that affect them. This can have a broader impact, ultimately bettering the lives of other farmed animals!

When Should A Post-Mortem Be Considered?

Having a post-mortem exam performed may not always be feasible, and we’ll talk more about some of the factors that may impact accessibility in the next section. Recognizing that certain factors may inhibit your ability to have a post-mortem conducted, let’s consider situations when having a post-mortem should at least be considered. Please keep in mind that the following are just general recommendations – we always recommend having a conversation with your veterinarian when making diagnostic decisions. They can make recommendations based on the specifics of the situation. Additionally, having a conversation with them about any financial or logistical constraints you may have that make access to post-mortem examinations difficult can help them make more specific recommendations and possibly help you navigate any roadblocks if they feel having a post-mortem done is important. 

Generally speaking, you should consider having a post-mortem exam performed in the following situations:

• A resident passes away suddenly or unexpectedly
• Multiple residents in a group pass away from unknown causes
• A resident passes away and other residents are showing similar clinical signs
• Your veterinarian is concerned that a resident was suffering from an infectious disease but was unable to get a definitive diagnosis before their passing
• Your veterinarian is concerned that the cause of a resident’s death is something that could affect other residents
• Diagnostics conducted before a resident passed away or was euthanized do not explain all of their clinical signs (i.e., the individual presented signs that are not typical of the disease(s) they were diagnosed with)
• You or your veterinarian want to better understand what disease(s) a resident had or how extensive it was

Additionally, you should always have a post-mortem performed if an individual who is part of a cruelty case passes away or if you suspect a resident’s death was the result of a crime. In these cases, you should consult with law enforcement and the diagnostic lab to ensure all necessary information is gathered. 

Factors That Can Affect Accessibility To Post-Mortem Examinations

In addition to having a conversation about whether or not a post-mortem is recommended (and how strongly your veterinarian recommends it), you’ll also have to consider things like cost and logistics. The cost of the post-mortem exam will vary from facility to facility but is generally based on the weight/size of the individual, with exams for smaller species typically costing less than those for larger ones. The cost will also vary depending on what, if any, ancillary testing is conducted, and as mentioned above, cremation will be an added cost. Given that sanctuaries are typically working under financial constraints, you may find that you are only able to justify the cost of a post-mortem exam in situations where your veterinarian feels very strongly that it is necessary to protect the health and well-being of your other residents or the humans who come into contact with them. 

In addition to budgetary considerations, there are also logistical ones. How near (or far) you are from a facility that can perform a post-mortem examination on the species you care for will likely factor into the equation. It is possible to ship a smaller resident’s body to a diagnostic facility, but not all sanctuaries will be comfortable doing this. Even if the facility is within a reasonable drive, transporting larger species can be complicated. If your veterinarian strongly recommends a post-mortem examination but you are finding it difficult to get the individual’s body to the lab, they may offer to do a post-mortem on-site or to collect certain samples to submit for histopathology or other testing. If you decide to move ahead with an on-site post-mortem exam, be sure to proceed with sensitivity and make sure folks who do not want to be present know when and where it is happening so they can keep their distance. 

Aside from concerns regarding cost or logistics, sanctuaries may have reservations about how their beloved resident’s body will be treated and may have fears about what would happen if the individual is diagnosed with a reportable disease – these are diseases that, when suspected or confirmed by a veterinarian, diagnostic lab, or other animal health professional, must be reported to the appropriate governmental agency. Some reportable disease confirmations have little to no impact on a sanctuary, while others could have serious ramifications. We recommend discussing any questions or concerns you have with your veterinarian. 

How To Get The Most Benefit From Post-Mortem Examinations

There are important steps you should take to help ensure you get the most benefit from post-mortem examinations. For starters, if you are going to submit a deceased resident’s body for a post-mortem examination, you should submit them to the lab as soon as possible. The body’s tissues naturally degrade after death (postmortem autolysis), and the more time that elapses, the more difficult it can be to establish a diagnosis. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the lab’s business hours and whether or not they have a system for after-hours drop-offs so you know how to proceed.

If you cannot arrange for the individual’s body to be brought to the lab immediately, you should take steps to keep their body cool. Smaller individuals can be placed in a refrigerator – do not place them in the freezer unless instructed to do so by your veterinarian or the lab, as this can cause changes to the tissues that will impede the histopathological exam. However, if you cannot bring them to the lab for several days, freezing may be recommended. Individuals who are too large to be placed in a refrigerator can be surrounded by bags of ice and covered with a tarp. When temperatures are hot, steps should be taken to keep the body cool during transport, especially if you have to travel more than a short distance to get them to the lab. If you decide to ship the individual’s body, be sure to follow their instructions regarding how to do so.

Continue To Practice Good BiosecurityMerck Veterinary Manual defines biosecurity as ”the implementation of measures that reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of disease agents [pathogens].” And Be Thoughtful About Personnel
You should have a designated refrigerator that personnel can use to store food and drinks that is separate from the one used to store medications and any diagnostic samples (including a resident’s body). You can read more about biosecurity here.

It’s also important to avoid situations where a member of the team comes across a resident’s body unexpectedly. If someone’s body is being stored in the refrigerator or elsewhere, be sure to thoughtfully communicate this to avoid anyone being caught off guard. Keeping their body covered or wrapped up can help demonstrate your respect for both the resident and sanctuary personnel.

Some facilities will only perform a post-mortem if the submission comes from a referring veterinarian. Even if this is not the case for the lab you work with, it is important to have your primary veterinarian (or another veterinarian familiar with the individual’s case) involved in the submission process. They can make sure all pertinent information is provided in their history and can make specific recommendations about additional tests they would like conducted.

In addition to playing an important role in the submission process, your veterinarian can also play an important role in the interpretation of post-mortem results. As Dr. Dodd Sledge, DVMDoctor of Veterinary Medicine, an academic degree awarded to veterinarians in many countries., PhD, DACVP, Anatomic Pathology Section Chief at Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory explains, post-mortem exams “provide parts of the puzzle, but often not a complete picture of what was happening with an animal when [they] died. A more complete picture is something that really is best put together by a veterinarian that knows the [guardian] and the animal through an established veterinarian-client-patient relationship.” Your veterinarian will be able to help you make sense of the results and determine what, if any, steps need to be taken.

Though it can be a difficult topic to think about, especially when dealing with the loss of a resident, it’s important to recognize the potential benefits of having a post-mortem examination conducted. You and your veterinarian could learn valuable information that can help you both provide even better care to your residents, and the knowledge gained may even be able to help individuals beyond your sanctuary! If post-mortem exams are not a topic you were previously familiar with, it can be a good idea to have a conversation with your veterinarian about what it would entail to pursue this option for your residents. Knowing ahead of time which facilities perform post-mortem exams, how far they are, and what their submission process is like can help make a potentially fraught situation a bit easier.

SOURCES:

Necropsy | American College Of Veterinary Pathologists 

The Equine Necropsy: A Sensitive but Important Topic The Equine Necropsy: A Sensitive But Important Topic | University Of Kentucky 

Necropsy | Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Necropsy Submission Guidelines and Shipping | Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services 

Necropsy Reveals Cause Of Death And Much More | University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College Of Veterinary Medicine (Non-Compassionate Source)

Necropsies From A Pathologist’s Perspective: Why Veterinarians Should Be Part Of The Process | Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Non-Compassionate Source)

Non-Compassionate Source?
If a source includes the (Non-Compassionate Source) tag, it means that we do not endorse that particular source’s views about animals, even if some of their insights are valuable from a care perspective. See a more detailed explanation here.