Necropsy – Deer & Exotic Ruminants 25 lbs. and Under

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. 

If "necropsy" is requested, a necropsy and ancillary tests (at current test pricing) are performed to determine the cause of death. If "gross necropsy only" is requested, only a gross necropsy is performed. 

Necropsy cases requiring detailed documentation and processing for insurance purposes or for legal/forensic purposes incur an additional charge of $200 or $350, respectively, and may require additional time to complete. 

Necropsies that are delivered after hours and require assistance will incur and additional $75 fee.  

Requests to hold for cremation should 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.