Necropsy – Companion & Exotics 50 lbs. and Under

Post-mortem examination and dissection of a whole animal to harvest tissues and determine a cause of death.

Fresh carcass

The fresher the carcass, the greater the diagnostic yield.

Chill carcass to refrigeration temperatures before packaging. Wrap in a plastic bag, preferably large zipper lock bags or leak-proof bags securely sealed with packing tape. Place inside second leak-proof plastic bag, with sufficient absorbent material and freezer packs. Place inside third bag and tape shut. Place paperwork in a separate, sealed plastic bag.

Label all samples. Place paperwork and the carcass in a shipping container. The outer container should be insulated and crush-proof. Large plastic picnic coolers are ideal and do not need to be placed inside a cardboard box for shipping. Cardboard boxes without rigid coolers are not appropriate as condensation causes them to fall apart in shipping. Ship overnight on cold packs.

Results for the gross necropsy will be available within 1 to 4 days of receipt; ancillary testing may take longer. 

This test only includes gross necropsy. If additional ancillary tests are desired (e.g. histopathology), the submitter should specify these tests on the submission form. Alternatively, the submitter may write, “perform any indicated testing” and the pathologist will use their discretion to add tests based on the clinical history and necropsy findings.

Necropsy cases requiring detailed documentation and processing for insurance or legal purposes incur an additional charge of $226.75 or $420.00, respectively, and may require additional time to complete. 

Necropsy services are available Monday-Friday during regular business hours. Secure, climate controlled specimen lockers are accessible 24 hours/day at the College Station and Canyon locations. Large animals delivered after hours that require assistance will incur an after hours fee. 

Requests to hold for cremation must be made on the TVMDL submission form. Read more about TVMDL’s cremation policy here. 

Fresh tissue is kept for 14 days from the date the postmortem animal/tissues are received. If additional tests are requested, requests must be made within this 14 day time period.