Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Necropsy
A necropsy is the animal equivalent of an autopsy. I've never had one performed on any of my animals, but I've decided that I will make it a part of my practices in the future, should the situation arise. I'm a data-driven individual; why shouldn't I make cause of death part of the data I operate on?
Obviously, I won't bother with newborn deaths or deaths associated with aging. A single pre-junior death would not cause me alarm either - some are just naturally unthrifty.
But should I have a series of pre-junior deaths again like I experienced a couple of years ago, I will head straight out the door with the bodies to find out the reason rather than guessing.
Likewise, should an adult fall ill and die, I plan to have both the feed and animal tested.
I spend a lot of money on my animals. Sure, I haven't added new stock to my barn for quite some time (over two years), but just the cost of housing, feeding, cleaning, and showing is enormous. Why would I get cheap when it comes to finding out what is going on with my herd?
But I must admit that I am clueless about how to actually have this procedure done. When I head out the door with the bodies, where am I going?
I could go to my local vet. I expect that would be the priciest and least satisfying option for me. He doesn't know a great deal about the rabbits while they are alive, by his own admission.
I could travel a bit further and go to a vet that has some experience with rabbits. That might be a little better. But I'd probably do best to search out some veterinary teaching hospital or see what services my local agricultural department might offer.
I read on the internet that necropsies range from $20 to $75, possibly more if the cause of death requires numerous tests to make the determination. But I know a breeder who is able to have them done for $8. She says for her $8 she gets a wealth of information. Sounds like some research can pay off big time.
Some people, of course, will perform their own necropsies. This is called gross examination, not because it is gross, but because all you can do is make larger observations such as twisted intestines, tumors, and enlarged organs. In many cases, that may be enough to determine the cause of death or at least contributing factors.
I don't think that performing my own necropsies is for me. It's not because I can't handle the gross part (and I do mean gross this time), but rather because I don't know enough about what a healthy rabbit looks like inside. I worked with rats in college, but I honestly don't remember what the inside of a healthy rat looks like either!
However, if you are interested in performing necropsies, you can get a book called Laboratory Anatomy of the Rabbit. You can get it from Amazon.com (don't forget to purchase it through my website!) It's $56.25, but that can save you money in the long run if you find yourself in need of multiple necropsies.
My final thought about necropsy is that it can help you find closure when you lose a very special rabbit. I can't say that I feel equally close to every rabbit in my barn. I'm especially UN-close to the one that raked me across the neck yesterday. But you already know the ones that are near and dear to my heart. I will grieve and feel great loss when they die. And if it's from anything but old age, I don't want to have the nagging question in my mind, "Was it something that I did?" "Did I miss a sign I should have seen?"
Likewise, if you have a pet customer who feels the loss of their rabbit especially intensely, you might want to suggest they have a necropsy performed. It can help them gain closure and perhaps save the life of their next pet or other rabbits in the household.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:30 AM
Obviously, I won't bother with newborn deaths or deaths associated with aging. A single pre-junior death would not cause me alarm either - some are just naturally unthrifty.
But should I have a series of pre-junior deaths again like I experienced a couple of years ago, I will head straight out the door with the bodies to find out the reason rather than guessing.
Likewise, should an adult fall ill and die, I plan to have both the feed and animal tested.
I spend a lot of money on my animals. Sure, I haven't added new stock to my barn for quite some time (over two years), but just the cost of housing, feeding, cleaning, and showing is enormous. Why would I get cheap when it comes to finding out what is going on with my herd?
But I must admit that I am clueless about how to actually have this procedure done. When I head out the door with the bodies, where am I going?
I could go to my local vet. I expect that would be the priciest and least satisfying option for me. He doesn't know a great deal about the rabbits while they are alive, by his own admission.
I could travel a bit further and go to a vet that has some experience with rabbits. That might be a little better. But I'd probably do best to search out some veterinary teaching hospital or see what services my local agricultural department might offer.
I read on the internet that necropsies range from $20 to $75, possibly more if the cause of death requires numerous tests to make the determination. But I know a breeder who is able to have them done for $8. She says for her $8 she gets a wealth of information. Sounds like some research can pay off big time.
Some people, of course, will perform their own necropsies. This is called gross examination, not because it is gross, but because all you can do is make larger observations such as twisted intestines, tumors, and enlarged organs. In many cases, that may be enough to determine the cause of death or at least contributing factors.
I don't think that performing my own necropsies is for me. It's not because I can't handle the gross part (and I do mean gross this time), but rather because I don't know enough about what a healthy rabbit looks like inside. I worked with rats in college, but I honestly don't remember what the inside of a healthy rat looks like either!
However, if you are interested in performing necropsies, you can get a book called Laboratory Anatomy of the Rabbit. You can get it from Amazon.com (don't forget to purchase it through my website!) It's $56.25, but that can save you money in the long run if you find yourself in need of multiple necropsies.
My final thought about necropsy is that it can help you find closure when you lose a very special rabbit. I can't say that I feel equally close to every rabbit in my barn. I'm especially UN-close to the one that raked me across the neck yesterday. But you already know the ones that are near and dear to my heart. I will grieve and feel great loss when they die. And if it's from anything but old age, I don't want to have the nagging question in my mind, "Was it something that I did?" "Did I miss a sign I should have seen?"
Likewise, if you have a pet customer who feels the loss of their rabbit especially intensely, you might want to suggest they have a necropsy performed. It can help them gain closure and perhaps save the life of their next pet or other rabbits in the household.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design
¶ 8:30 AM
