| Procedure |
Specimen |
Container |
Comments |
| Necropsy |
Maximum
number of animals (similar age and clinical problem) to be included in 1
accession:
Cattle:
1 adult or 2 calves
Cats:
1 adult or 3 kittens
Dogs
1 adult or 3 puppies
Horses:
1 adult or 2 foals
Sheep:
1 adult or 3 lambs
Swine:
1 adult or 3 pigs
Abortion/Stillbirth:
3 fetuses w/placenta |
Shipping
containers for mail or courier services must be leak-proof and airtight |
-All
species
-Carcasses
must be held at refrigeration temperature until delivery to ADDL.
-DO
NOT freeze unless interval between death and delivery > 3 days.
-Carcasses
smaller than 150 lb. can be delivered after hours to the walk-in
refrigerator on the south dock (be sure to identify with name, contact phone
number).
-Gross
necropsy results will be reported in 1-5 working days; final reports are
completed within 5-14 working days.
-ADDL
does not euthanize companion animals, including horses. |
| Cosmetic
necropsy |
1
animal |
|
-Prior
arrangements with ADDL are required. However, cosmetic necropsy is
discouraged because it prevents thorough postmortem examination and may
hinder diagnosis.
-Animal
must be in ADDL before 1 pm and will usually be returned to owner the same
day. Additional charge applies. |
| Legal/Insurance
Necropsy |
1
animal |
|
Must
be designated as such prior to
necropsy.
Additional charge applies. |
| Field
Consultation |
|
|
Call
to schedule. Field consultations are made only at the request of a
veterinarian. |
| Practitioner-performed
necropsy |
-Brain:
whole or half
-Spinal
cord: entire, with opened dura
-Eyes:
whole
-Endocrine
glands: small, whole; larger glands, bisected
-Heart,
lung, liver, kidney, spleen: 5 mm thick slices (whole heart if cardiac defect
is suspected)
-GI
tract: 3-5 cm segments |
10%
formalin |
-Brain,
heart, lung, liver, kidney and spleen plus any other tissues with gross
lesions should be submitted from all necropsy examinations. Other tissues
should be included according to history or clinical signs.
-Formalin-fixed
specimens accompanied by fresh (unfixed) specimens for ancillary testing
(microbiology, toxicology, virology etc) are processed as long-form
accessions. Histologic findings are reported in 3-5 working days with final
reports in 7-15 days. |
| Amputations |
-Small
specimens, e.g. digits, may be submitted whole
-Larger
specimens, e.g. limbs, should be refrigerated and delivered to ADDL within 24
hours |
10%
formalin
-Refrigeration
for large specimens |
Bony
specimens will require 1-10 day delay for decalcification. Additional
charges apply.
-Limb
amputations can be submitted as a "Biopsy Plus" for dissection and
gross examination by a pathologist before histopathology.
These will be charged as a necropsy. |
| Histopathology |
Various
tissue specimens |
Leak-proof
wide-mouth jar or Whirl Pak |
-Tissues
should be fixed in 10% buffered formalin with 10:1 formalin to tissue
ratio.
-Excess
formalin can be decanted after 1-2 days fixation. |
| Endoscopic,
pinch, core (Tru-cut), or punch biopsies |
Entire
biopsy specimen: if <3mm in any dimension, submit in histologic
cassette to avoid specimen damage or loss |
10%
formalin |
Multiple
specimens should be submitted in individually labeled containers to indicate
tissue site.
Histologic
findings from Neoplasm Submission Form accessions are reported in 1-3 working
days. Histochemistry or immunohistochemistry requires another 1-5
working days. |
| Excisional
biopsies |
If
>2cm in diameter, slice accordingly to allow fixation |
10%
formalin |
Use
paint or suture tags to orient specimen or identify margins, if pertinent. Histologic
findings from Neoplasm Submission Form accessions are reported in 1-3 working
days. |
Subcontracted
