Pathology: Necropsy and Gross Pathology

A necropsy is performed to determine the possible cause of death and/or to detect induced or coincidental pathological alterations in tissues. The tools to perform a necropsy will vary not only by species, the type of dissection that is required, and personal preferences. Prior to the initiation of any necropsy, a prenecropsy meeting with the members of the necropsy team should be held to ensure the best possible outcome for the activity. The protocol-specific, species-specific, sex-specific necropsy data sheet when generated will serve as the official necropsy record for each animal and would be referenced for future histopathology evaluation. An important part of the necropsy and pathology evaluation is the collection of organ weights. This chapter also focuses on the unscheduled deaths, scheduled deaths, and tissue collection. The photographing of tissue and organ specimens can be highly useful for purposes of illustration and explanation as well as measurements.