Cattle, post-mortem
- Thread starter Sir Loin
- Start date
Rod
Well-known member
I might be able to help you out there, my buddy just got his first cows and found one tits up yesterday. He's all spun up and wants an autopsy(I recommended a backhoe), he called the vet out.
Vicky the vet
Well-known member
A post mortem exam costs between 50 and 150, depending on what tests you want/need done. I have yet to ever do a pm and not come up with a diagnosis. But hey, I've been only doing this for 20 odd years...
Results can be immediate, or take up to a week, depending on what needs to be done. In rare cases, it can take longer, but only if you're growing something like TB, Johnes or certain fungii.
Results can be immediate, or take up to a week, depending on what needs to be done. In rare cases, it can take longer, but only if you're growing something like TB, Johnes or certain fungii.
fourstates
Well-known member
I spent the fee for the vet to do a necropsy for an aborted fetus. He found no obvious cause of death and sent the fetus to Texas A&M. There were shipping costs and lab costs.
The tests run were Bacteriology for Campylobactor, Trichomonas, Brucella and Listeria. These were all negative.
Molecular Diagnostics were run on Leptosira using kidney & liver of the fetus. This test was negative.
Virology on tissue- Negative
Histopatology: Brain- Encephalitis, nonsupputative multifocal severe, Heart- Myocarditis, nonsuppurative, moderate to severe.
Final: The comination of encephalitis and myocarditis in a bovine fetus is considered diagnostic for Neosporosis.
This is what I gleaned from a 4 page report.
I spent almost 400. and it took about one month. My vet complimented me on my health program.
Hey Vicky, could you have done this cheaper? 8)
The tests run were Bacteriology for Campylobactor, Trichomonas, Brucella and Listeria. These were all negative.
Molecular Diagnostics were run on Leptosira using kidney & liver of the fetus. This test was negative.
Virology on tissue- Negative
Histopatology: Brain- Encephalitis, nonsupputative multifocal severe, Heart- Myocarditis, nonsuppurative, moderate to severe.
Final: The comination of encephalitis and myocarditis in a bovine fetus is considered diagnostic for Neosporosis.
This is what I gleaned from a 4 page report.
I spent almost 400. and it took about one month. My vet complimented me on my health program.
Hey Vicky, could you have done this cheaper? 8)
fourstates
Well-known member
My herd is vaccinated. Please note all the tests were negative except for the Neospora. Neospora has no preventative vaccine. You can protect the fetus of an infected cow, using Neoguard, but there is nothing to "prevent" infection. It is not contagious from cow to cow.
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rockridgecattle
Well-known member
we've had autopsies done. Can't remember for what or what the cost was.
We took the calf in saved on vet travel.
Now if we have to get a job done by the vet, we check the bill for any errors and pay it. she does a good job, works hard and has yet to steer us wrong.
Where we are cutting our vet bills down now is the one two rule. treat a course of action. if it does not respond try another treatment. If that does not work, wait the withdrawl and sale barn or shoot and take the bse testing money of 75 for disposal.
Herd health is not something we are willing to scrimp on because it affects the bottom line and sometimes you don't see the effects for a couple of years. A postmortem is just the cost of doing business if the cause of death is unknown or undetermined.
We took the calf in saved on vet travel.
Now if we have to get a job done by the vet, we check the bill for any errors and pay it. she does a good job, works hard and has yet to steer us wrong.
Where we are cutting our vet bills down now is the one two rule. treat a course of action. if it does not respond try another treatment. If that does not work, wait the withdrawl and sale barn or shoot and take the bse testing money of 75 for disposal.
Herd health is not something we are willing to scrimp on because it affects the bottom line and sometimes you don't see the effects for a couple of years. A postmortem is just the cost of doing business if the cause of death is unknown or undetermined.
randiliana
Well-known member
We sometimes get PM's done and sometimes don't. Depends if we have reason to suspect something unusual/serious or not. The last one we had done was a couple years ago. We had lost a couple cows to bloat previously, but this cow didn't fit the bloat 'pattern'. When the vet PM'd her he suspected Anthrax as she had hemmoraged inside, but the test came back negative. So all we know for sure was that she had not died of bloat or of Anthrax (thank god). The vet suspected that she died from a clostridial disease as it was a very sudden death. We did not have her run through a whole gamut tests either.
On the other hand, we lost a calf in the last week. First thought it may have been pneumonia as we have been treating the odd case lately. However, when hubby got looking at the calf he noticed a large abscess on the inside of it's flank (in a hard to see spot). It had ruptured previously to the outside, but this time we suspect it ruptured inside and he either died of blood poisoning or peritonitis.
On the other hand, we lost a calf in the last week. First thought it may have been pneumonia as we have been treating the odd case lately. However, when hubby got looking at the calf he noticed a large abscess on the inside of it's flank (in a hard to see spot). It had ruptured previously to the outside, but this time we suspect it ruptured inside and he either died of blood poisoning or peritonitis.
rockridgecattle
Well-known member
TNM, sorry to bother, but if you don't use your name like most others on this web site why would you post the full name of some one else? Are they okay with having there name and what they charge and what they do posted where how many can take a look?
Sorry to hi jack with this question
Sorry to hi jack with this question
TheBullLady
Well-known member
We had a cow posted at A & M about 6 months ago. Cost $150.. took about 10 days, and got back a four page report.
fourstates
Well-known member
I live 300 miles from the nearest Vet school. If I lived close, I would haul the animal to them. I had to pay twice, once for the local vet, shipping and then all the lab tests.
If you live near a vet school, take the animal there. You get more complete testing and you are providing a resource to the school.
If you live near a vet school, take the animal there. You get more complete testing and you are providing a resource to the school.
ArrowHBrand
Well-known member
We've only had one or two done, but they were done at the request of the vet. Our vet just wanted to know what they had died from so for us there was no fee.
