Page 566 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Necropsy guidelines 503

• Dissect out and incise. Intact females
• The adrenal cortex around the periphery of
the glands will appear tan-orange and slightly • Locate the ovaries and dissect ovaries and
waxy while the medulla will be dark red-plum uterine horns and body free of retroperitoneal
coloured. connective tissue. Incise the uterus at the cer-
vix and set aside for examination.
• Careful dissection along the underside of
Things to note the sacrum will allow the rectum to be freed
along with the intrapelvic parts of the uro-
• The ratio of the thickness of the medulla to
the cortex on cut section should be 2 : 1. genital tract.
• The corticomedullary junction should be uni- • Set aside the urogenital tract for examination.
form.
• Any alterations in cortical : medulla ratio,
areas of reddening (haemorrhage), nodules, Bread loaf
or masses should be noted.
All parenchymatous organs and tissue
(liver, spleen, lung, kidney, tongue, skeletal
Sampling muscle and so on) have an external and
• Place both adrenals in formalin. cut surface both of which must be exam-
ined. To examine the cut surface the organ
or tissue is ‘bread loafed’, a term which
11 remove the urogenital tract describes making multiple, transverse cuts
through an organ, 1–2 cm apart, to allow the
• To remove the urogenital tract intact the pel- internal structure to be examined.
vis must first be split. This is performed by
removing soft tissues from the ventral aspect
of the pelvis to expose the pelvic symphysis
and obturator foramen. Use rib cutters to 12 Examining pluck and sample
cut the ischium and pubis either side of the collection
obturator foramen and dissect the resulting Tongue
section of bone free.
• Take a urine sample with a needle and syringe • Examine the external surface and bread loaf
inserted through the bladder wall. Take a the tongue transversely along its length into
sample prior to opening the bladder to avoid 0.5–1 cm pieces.
contamination with blood or other fluid.
• Free the kidneys by carefully dissecting around tHInGS to notE
the lateral and dorsal aspects of the organs. • Vesicles, ulcers, nodules, masses within the
• Applying gentle traction to both kidneys will mucosal surface.
allow identification of the ureters as taut • On the cut surface, the substance of the
bands in the retroperitoneal connective tis- tongue comprises skeletal muscle and fibro-
sue. This is much easier in lean or emaciated adipose tissue, is soft to firm, tan pink,
animals with minimal retroperitoneal adipose pliable and relatively homogenous. Areas of
tissue. abnormal colour or texture should be noted.
• Dissect the ureters to the levels of the bladder. • Check for the presence of foreign bodies.

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