Necropsies (autopsies for pets)

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

I copied this from another thread because it is exactly how I feel about this idea and I thought it deserved a thread:

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

I don't understand why people will not have a necropsy done when sudden unexplained death occurs. It won't take away the dignity of the dog, in fact it may help other dogs with the knowledge that comes from the necropsy.
Especially if it was genetic.

I had a young cat who became very ill, very fast. My vet suspected FIP but my cat passed before any test results could come back. He asked if he could necropsy my Meeko. I said yes. It confirmed his diagnosis and gave me great peace of mind to know exactly what happened to my little cat. It also allowed me to watch my other cat for any signs, and to know that I needed to NOT adopt another cat for a minimum amount of time. All helpful information from that procedure. He was cremated after and I have his ashes.

If this ever happens with me with any pet again, I will do it again. Even if something is found that is upsetting, I would rather know, than not know.

[LaRen616]

I completely agree.

Especially if it is a young healthy dog that dies unexpectedly.

[gagsd]

I have been involved with many necropsies..... very rarely was the cause of death determined.

I would still do one if possible in the case of an unexplained death.

[Hillary_Plog]

In August my VERY healthy 9 year old GSD passed away unexpectedly without any warning or issues. I was devastated and don't think that I could have moved on without knowing what caused his death.

I didn't hesitate to have them perform a necropsy. They found a large tumor deep inside of his abdomen that had ruptured, which caused his death. I never would have known what killed my boy and, even though it is still heart breaking to think about, I was able to move on in a healthy way because I learned what took him.

[Catu]

A necropsy by itself is one diagnosis method. But a good pathologist will not only look for lesions and abnormalities, but will get samples for the Histology, the microbiology and the parasitology lab that will, between all of them, determine the cause of death. Often you can collect samples of tissues there is no way you can examine in a living animal, like the brain.

While I agree that a necropsy poorly made, with a "lets take a look to what we find inside" way of thinking is a waste of time, a methodological one, made by a good pathologist, who is aware he is a piece of a professional's team, is something irreplaceable.

[GSDGunner]

Gunner's littermate Mocha was put to sleep in Feb after a long, misdiagnosed illness. Long story and I won't go into it here. But the last vet to suspect what it was, and after several tests were inconclusive, asked my friend to donate her body to the vet hospital to do a necropsy.
They informed her that by donating her, they would not receive the results. Why, I still don't comprehend. But my friend agreed so that if any other dog were to present with these symptoms, they might be able to save it.
It's a large vet hospital and a 24 hour care center.

I would have liked to have known the results since I have her littermate. But we do have an idea of what killer her. A misdiagnosed fungal infection. Her symptoms fit right down to the detached retina.

Although I wanted to know for selfish reasons, I commend my friend for wanting to help another dog in the event they present with her symptoms.
If something ever happened to Gunner, I wouldn't hesitate to do a necropsy.

[Elaine]

Having worked in a diagnostic lab for animals and been involved with autopsies on people, the only time I would ever do a necropsy or autopsy is when I really had to know what was wrong. These are hugely invasive and rather brutal things to do to a loved one and I wouldn't do it unless I absolutely had to.

[Catu]

Having done 8 necropsies only past week... I can't see how it can be brutal to do an exam to a dead body, unless you have something religious or similar on the matter. I wouldn't invite the owner to witness a necropsy, as much as I wouldn't invite the owner to witness any surgery, but it may help in the closure process.

[Good_Karma]

I feel like once an animal (or human) is dead, all that is left is the shell. If I had an unexplained death in one of my pets, I would indeed want a necropsy for my own sense of closure. I had a cat die a very horrible death that was never diagnosed and it haunts me to this day. I wish we had thought to ask them to do a necropsy, but we in shock at the time and were not thinking clearly. I still wonder if we could have done something differently to have saved her life.

[Lilie]

I don't think I would. It wouldn't change the final outcome..no I don't think I would.

If I had a breeding pair, or puppies from a breeding pair, or if my dog had something rare that the medical community could learn from the procedure, then I would.

But I couldn't do it just for myself.