When should I perform a necropsy?
Changes in tissues occur as soon as 20 minutes after an animal has expired. Since these changes may obscure the true cause of death in an animal, it is important to sample tissues as soon after death as possible for an accurate diagnosis. This is particularly true if the weather is hot, the animal was febrile (had a fever), or when disease symptoms suggest involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. For these reasons it is important that the animal be examined as soon after the time of death as possible and tissue samples should be properly collected and thoroughly chilled until examination by a veterinarian.