Get added value from fallen stock with a post-mortem

Published on: May 20, 2021

A post-mortem examination is a systematic exam of a carcass to investigate the reason for death.

The University of Bristol at Langford are the local post-mortem provider feeding into the national surveillance network. A post-mortem examination at this centre is carried out in full in a controlled and clean environment. There is a fixed charge which includes further testing when deemed necessary and all of this information is fed into the national disease network looking at new and emerging diseases as well as monitoring endemic disease in the UK.

Having worked as a VIO at one of these post-mortem centres with these facilities and expertise sending a carcass to the government labs will always give you the best chance of a diagnosis. However what happens if the centre is closed? You don’t have the time to transport the animals, or the vet is already on the farm?

Carrying out a gross post-mortem examination in the field is really useful to identify disease processes such as pneumonia, scours and further testing can help shed more light what is causing these. In some instances the gross findings alone are enough to tell you exactly why something has died.

My top tips to get the most out of your post mortems- case selection is key!

Sometimes it can be frustrating when a cause of death isn’t found, but we should not be dismayed, through the post-mortem process, we can check body systems and rule out many diseases along the way.
If you have an unexpected death, and want to explore why please get in touch, and we can help to decide what would be the best course of action.“Deaths on farm are disappointing, but can provide us with a valuable opportunity to get something useful from a loss”