Field necropsy: An added service in rural veterinary medicine

Abstract

This paper aims to describe field necropsy techniques, the conditions of sending samples to different laboratories, and their added value in rural veterinary medicine. Necropsy must be ordered, systematic, and complete, in order to extract as much information as possible from the corpse, so as to determine the cause of death or the presence of a particular pathology. In addition, correctly performed necropsy will allow for an adequate sampling. In relation to necropsy costs, official and private services oscillate between 80 and 150 dollars, with the animal or corpse sent to the necropsy room of a diagnostic center. In case of necropsies with medico-legal connotations, including insured animals, prices range between 500 and 2500 dollars. These prices may have a 15 to 20% increase in the field, taking into account travel to the examination site/ranch (distance-mileage), and it may also vary according to the number of dead animals, which represents an added service for the field veterinarian/rural veterinarian, which somewhat increases the annual net economic gains for rural veterinary business.