Post-mortem

Examination
Dr. Sohaib Aslam
 Necropsy
A necropsy, also called a systemic post-
mortem Examination after death.

Systemic Pathological
examination of dead
animals
 Why to perform necropsy
• Identification of disease.
• To find either death was natural or un-
natural.
• Indicate appropriate treatment of disease
in a
remaining herd.
• Limit future losses.
• Improve understanding of disease effects
on animals.
• To Ascertain time passed to death
To take the tissue to better understand the
pathological conditions at cellular
level..
 Before Postmortem
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
Before dissection begins, the animal is
examined externally for sign of
• Autolysis
• Putrefaction
• Rigor mortis
• Wounds
• Evidence of diarrhea
• any other abnormal features
 When to perform?
• Changes in tissues occur as
soon as 20 minutes
after an animal has expired.

• If weather is hot then perform it

as soon as possible
for least post mortem changes.
 Legal requirement
• Have legal authority from its
relevant institute.

• Have written permission from

the animal’s
owner.
Professional Requirement

• The person should be a

veterinarian.

• Have good experience.

 Even before PM
 SOME REVIEWS AND OBSERVATIONS
- species, breed, sex,
 Signalmen
age, weight, identifying marks
 History and clinical diagnosis
 Clinical pathology
 External appearance
– State of nutrition
– Mucous membrane
– Body orifices
– General conformation
– Superficial lesions-tumor, dermatitis etc
– Check lips, gums, cheeks, teeth
How to perform??
 Safety precautions
• Do postmortem in day
light.
• No unauthorized person
allow no come there.
• Use bedding of wheat
straw for postmortem.
• Equipment should be
sterilized before & after
use.
 Conti..
• Choose an area which is
not usually used by any
one.
• In case of zoonosis care
must taken.
• In ANTHRAX…. No need
• Place must have good
supply of water
• A proper tool kit and
wearing cloth
Basic Necropsy Kit
 1.Protective clothing
o Rubber gloves.
• Rubber boots or plastic foot
protectors.
• Rubber apron.
• Coveralls.
• Mask (to cover mouth and nose).
• Eye goggles or face shield.
2.Necropsy documentation

Camera and film

Field note book
 3.Necropsy equipment
• Sharp knife (including sharpening stone or steel).
• Scissors (small and large).
• Forceps.
• String.
• Axe or hatchet (fighting axe used by North American
Indians).
• Hacksaw or bone saw.
• Small and large shears (pruning shears).
 Cont…
• Chisel and mallet (hammer).
• Scalpels and razor blades.
• Alcohol lamp or gas burner for sterilizing
instruments.
• Plastic ruler or measuring tape.
Equipments and their uses
1.Entertome
• These are bulb ended
scissors used for opening
the intestines
• Procedure
– The bulb _ended blade is
inserted into the lumen (the
hollow inside) of the gut, and
the instrument is smoothly
stripped down the length of
the intestine. The blunt bulb
keeps internal blade from
2.Hagedorn Needle
• It is also called the
Sailmarker’s Needle,
this is a large needle
with an eye for
sewing up the body
after the necropsy is
finished .
 3.Rib cutters
• These look like
small pruning
shears and are used
to cut through the
ribs prior to lifting
off the chest plate.
4.Toothed forceps

• The teeth on
these “pickups”
lend strength in
gripping heavy
organs for
removal.
 5.Chisel
• For cutting
through the bones
, the skull bones
or the rib cage
along the
attachment with
the vertebral
column.
6.Hacksaw
• It is used to
cut through
the bones
particularly
the skull
bones.
7.Sharpening steel

• It is used to sharpen
the knife.
• For cleaning the
greasy edge of the
knife.
 8.Ruler
• To measure
the length of
various
organs or
tissues to see
the changes.
 9.Sharpening stone

• The knife and

cleaver
sharpening is
done by
sharpening stone
before
postmortem
procedure.
10.Cleaver
• It is used to
cut through
the bones and
also in the
opening of
the skull for
the
examination
of the brain
tissue.
11.necropsy table

• It used for placing and

fixing the corpse.
12.Dissection scissors
• It is used
to hold or
move
structures.
13.Arterial & jugular tubes
• It is used to draw or
drain out all the
blood before
replacing it with
embalming fluids
like formaldehyde f
or preservation of
structures.
14.Ropes
• Used to tie the
corpse in places so
that it does not
change position
during dissection.
 15.Sternal saw
• Used for cutting
into the chest of
the body by
cutting the
sternum.
16.Brain knife
• Used to cleanly cut
the brain.
17.Rib shear
• It is used to
cut through
the ribs while
opening the
chest.
 18.Scalpel
• It is used for sharp cutting.
19.Speculum
• It is used for
vaginal and
rectal
examinations.
20.Nasogastric tube
• Used for nasogastric
aspiration of stomach
contents.
 21.Water bath
• Used for flotation tests
to detect presence of
gas, specially for
infants (lungs,
intestine) as a sign
of postpartum life.
 22.Specimen jars
• Used for preservation of material
.
 23.Swabs
• Used for collecting smears.
 24.Osteometric board
• Used to measure
the length of
(usually dried)
bones.
Recumbency for necropsy
of different animals
 Ruminants.

Place the animal on left

side.(large animals).

In calves dorsum

should be down.
To keep the rumen
away from to
postmortem procedure.
Equines
Place the animal at
right side.
To keep the caecum
(very large in horse)
away of postmortem
procedures.
Canines
Place the animal on
vertebral column .
(Dorsal Down)
 Poultry
 Place the animal at vertebral column.
 (Dorsal Down)