A Practical guide for performing a bovine necropsy

Abstract

Bovine veterinarians are often afforded the opportunity to determine the cause of death based on grossly visible pathological changes alone, without the need for additional diagnostic testing. In some production systems (e.g., feedlot, Stocker, and some cow/calf operations) this opportunity is capitalized upon for almost every mortality. However, for 1 reason or another, some veterinarians are reluctant to consis¬ tently take advantage of performing this procedure. Once the appropriate equipment is employed, and a standardized pro¬ cedure is followed, practitioners will be pleasantly surprised at how efficiently and effectively a postmortem diagnosis can be determined. Furthermore, with the implementation of commonly used technologies, the same principles can be utilized to assist with expanding the geographic area in which diagnoses are made.