Removal and Examination of Viscera

from the Peritoneal Cavity

SPLEEN- removed,
examined and incised at
the time the viscera are
rolled away from the body
wall.
PANCREAS- examined
before intestines are
removed.

Spleen attached to the stomach.

Freeing and Straightening the

Intestines
Most difficult procedure in the necropsy of
cow.
By freeing the intestine from the mesentery as
the bowel is removed, the animal severs as a
third hand or anchor, to hold the
unstraightened bowel.
MESENTERIC LYMPH NODES- examined before
intestine are removed.
Starting with the bowel as it leaves the fourth
stomach, all attachmets are cut as the bowel
is lifted.
If GALL BLADDER is distended- patency of the
duct may be tested by squeezing gall bladder
to see if bile is readily forced into the intestine.

 DUODENUM- freed in the region of liver

and bowel is lifted and
liberated until it
seems to disappear through the
mesentery.
-lies along the colon-*care must be
exercised to avoid opening either viscus
Grasping the mesentery and loops of
SMALL INTESTINES- these structures are
pulled dorsally to lie out over the back.*see where further dissection to separate
the duodenum if needed.
As MESENTERY becomes longer, bowel
can be lifted with one hand, sharp knife in
the other hand severs the mesentery
close to the intestines as far as the
ileocecal valve.

1. Ampulla of duodenum, 2.
Thin part of duodenum, 3.
Abomasum, 4. Jejunum. Arrow
are showing the duodenal coils.

 Spirals of COLON- straightened by

starting with the blunt loop in the
center of spiral and simultaneously
freeing the two segments the forms
the loop.
Gastrointestinal tract- opened and
examined as last step in necropsy
procedure.

Removal and Examination of the

Liver
Peritoneal covering of liver- examined for
fibrous tufts, adhesions or thichening. Freed
from its attachments to the diaphragm.
Size or weight is noted- for swelling, mottling
or discoloration.
PALE AREAS- may be diffuse or focal. *due to
absoption of fat or fluid or presence of
necrosis, lymphomatosis, interstitial
inflammation or fibrosis.
FOCAL AREAS of autolysis- common and should
not be confused with degeneration or necrosis.
CONSISTENCY- by palpation and incision.

 SLIGHT DEGREES of fibrosis- difficult to

detect on gross examination.
ADVANCED fibrosis- recognized by
increased hardness and the
outlining of
the lobules by connective tissues.
GALL BLADDER and larger BILE DUCTSopened and examined for gallstones,
inflammation, flukes and the proliferative
lesion found in hyperkeratosis.
HEPATIC LYMPH NODES- examined for
size, moisture content and black
pigmentation common in fluke infected
livers.

Removal and Examination of GenitoUrinary Organs

ADRENAL GLANDS- should be located and removed before the
kidneys are disturbed.
NORMAL URETER- kidneys can be removed separately.
DISEASED URETER- urinary tract be kept in tact by freeing the
kidney and ureters and removing them with the bladder,
uterus and retum.
Simplest way to remove the pelvic organs on the midline and
saw through the right side of pubis and ischium to give ready
access to them.
URINARY and GENITAL ORGANS- are then removed as a unit
including ANUS and VULVA.

 KIDNEY- examined by placing it on flat surface,

holding it in place with pressure from the palm
on the hand with a long knife, cutting
longitudinally through the center of the organ
from
convex to the hilus.
Capsule- stripped off with forceps to permit
inspection of the kidney surface.
URETER, BLADDER, URETHRA- incised and laid
open for inspection.
RECTUM, VAGINA, CERVIX, UTERINE HORNSsimilarly opened along the dorsal midline for
examination.
OVARIES- incised through the center.
OVIDUCTS- inspected.
PELVIC LYMPH NODES- examined for enlargement,
pigmentation and fibrosis.

Examination of Digestive Tract

Parasites inhabiting the GIT of cattle and sheep are too
small to be seen on gross examination of the mucosa.
Fourth STOMACH and first ten feet of SMALL
INTESTINE- need to be subjected to special
examination.*can be opened into a pail.
Water as warm as can be tolerated by hand is added.
The organs are agitated the mucosa is scraped lightly
with the gloved hand and the bowels are lifted out.
The fluid is passed through three grading sieves, 10,
20 and 40 meshes to inch, placed one above the other
with the finest at bottom.

 After the sieves have been thoroughly washed with warm water;
they are inverted separately over glass pie plates and a small
strong stream is played on the screens to wash the worms into
the plates.
Plates are then examined in a strong light or placed over an
opening in a lighted box constructed for this purpose.
Large stomach worms- caught on the coarse and medium
screens.
Small parasites- on fine sieve (Trichostrongylus)
Screening can be omitted if the water in which the bowels have
been agitated is permitted to settle, the supernatant fluid poured
off and the sediment examined on glass plates.
In small intestine, exclusive of first teen feet beyond the fourth
stomach- parasite are of sufficient size (hookworm, Nematodirus)

 Parasite in the CECUM and COLON- large and

readily identified.
In order to obtain an index of the number and
varieties of parasites in the intestinal tract,
examination by either of the methods described
can be employed or the ova in the fecal material
I the colon may be counted by special technics.
As STOMACH and INTESTINE are opened, mucosa
is examined for lesions.
RUMEN, RETICULUM, OMASUM- may be opened
in place and after contents removed, may be
examined for lesions or parasites (rumen fluke)
Pockets in the reticulum- examined for foreign
bodies.
In case of poisoning or suspected poisoning,
flakes of paint or other chemicals can sometimes
identified in the contents of rumen and
reticulum.

 Botanist can sometimes identify poisonous plants by

examining the rumen contents.
Another method f examination is to remove these
organs, incise the wall, empty out the contents and
wash the mucosa to permit more thorough examination.
Lesions are sometimes found in the laminae of the
omasum.