Saw my first autopsy today

[LoveMoo11]

So I saw my first autopsy today (in real life, I'd seen photos) and it was pretty interesting. We had a cow at work that calved (twins, backwards) on June 19th. She had been really unsteady on her feet, thin, and had a nasty, pusy, white discharge running out of her vulva. One day she would be doing really well, eating, up and around, wanting to go out of her pen (manager chose not to let her outside, but she was in a pen). The next day she would be not passing any manure, refusing to eat, giving barely any milk. She would go in cycles. They were going to ship her last Tuesday but decided not to because she was doing really well (bad decision). This past week she was up and around, eating, passing more manure than she had been. We were drenching her with alfalfa, ketogel, calcigel and some other odds and ends of things. Temp was fairly low, barely 100 but she was very upbeat/friendly - acting. Vet came out a couple times but didn't have a clue. This AM when I came in to milk she was dead. She looked OK, was in a sleeping position except for her front feet which were curled like she was trying to get up front feet first and the mats were disturbed like she had struggled. The autopsy was unbelievable. About a third of her lungs were dead tissue, her rumen and omasum were "dying"-there was quite a bit of dead tissue. Liver, lungs, heart, spleen had all been bleeding. Part of the intestines were pretty nasty. It was pretty gross, but like I said, interesting. Vet concluded hardware and/or ulcers but couldn't find any hardware (to me, she didn't look like a hardware cow and I have seen plenty of those). So anyways, it was an educational day.

 

[Patches9211]

Wow that sounds very interesting. i wish i could have seen it. thats really sad that she died though.

 

[BARNSCOOP]

How do you deal with the smell?

 

[farmwriter]

Lovemoo, sorry about the loss, but what an opportunity!
It's called a necropsy when it's performed on an animal though.
Where was it done? Did ya'll move her first or was it done where you found her?

 

[grannysoo]

How do you deal with the smell?

Get you a small container of Mentholatum Ointment from any drugstore and smear a couple of dabs under each nostril if you can't deal with the smell.

 

[hillsdown]

If they are done soon after death they really don't smell.

The first necropsy (PM) I ever saw was of a dairy cow that inexplicably went down after purchasing her. The symptoms led to botulism so my vet and an intern came out in protective gear and masks. We had to stand back but wear the masks. Tissue sample were taken and then we had to burn the cow. The tests came back negative and it was ruled that she had a burst milk vein.

It was very dramatic at the time though.

Always interesting to see, unless it is your most promising calf or your best cow.

 

[LoveMoo11]

Lovemoo, sorry about the loss, but what an opportunity!
It's called a necropsy when it's performed on an animal though.
Where was it done? Did ya'll move her first or was it done where you found her?

I always wondered what the difference between an autopsy and a necropsy was-thanks for clearing that up.
She died in her pen but we moved her. The backhoe came out and dug the hole in a back field to bury her and we did it right beside that-less mess and easy disposal. Vet's request.

HD-that's quite dramatic!!!! Good story to tell too!

As for the smell-she died sometime during the night and we did the necropsy around 11 so she was bloated up a bit. I had been standing upwind and was on my way downwind when I saw the vet jump back after cutting her open-unfortunately I wasn't able to get out of the way in time :help: :? luckily I'm not a puker :lol:

 

[hillsdown]

What really stinks is that damm rendering/nacker truck. GROSS..... :help: