Necropsy?

[LauraBird]

Hi,

One of my favorite gouldians just died in my hands. I want to take him to the avian vet tomorrow to find out why he died.

Should I refrigerate or freeze him?

[dunker817]

I wouldn't freeze. A solid frozen bird would be difficult to examine. Keeping him in the fridge would work. Funeral homes put people in fridges.

[lovezebs]

LauraBird

I am so sorry aboug your bird .

[LauraBird]

Thank you. I had a sad cry and one of my dogs just sat with me.

[lovezebs]

Diagnostic necropsy

The best way for your avian veterinarian to give you information and answers is if you bring the deceased body for a necropsy (like an autopsy for a human).   The body should be stored in the refrigerator (it is fine to wrap it in a small towel or bag) and brought to your veterinarian as soon as possible.  Tissues that have been frozen or that are old (over 48 hours) become autolyzed (degraded) and rendered useless on a diagnostic level, so if you wish to have a necropsy to determine cause of death please be prepared.  It is also important to understand that a gross necropsy, the first part of the examination where the doctor performs a physical exam of the body, inside and out, is often not diagnostic.  A doctor may not be able to tell you if your bird died from a toxin or other kind of illness that manifests on a microscopic level.  A gross necropsy will only determine if the cause of death was from something on a larger scale or visible with the naked eye such as egg binding, tumors/masses, severe heart disease and atherosclerosis, or a respiratory blockage (such as a seed stuck in the trachea).  In order to have a full diagnosis the tissues would need to be collected and sent to a pathologist for histologic evaluation.  Often these services carry a large price tag and an entire study of every organ can be over $400.   Unfortunately, there is still the possibility that even with sending the entire body to a pathologist, we may not be able to pinpoint an exact cause of death.  You should be prepared that despite our best efforts, animals are organic living things and sometimes medicine does not hold all the answers.


I found this on some site Laura. I hope it is helpful.

[cindy]

do not freeze it.... Body Preparation: Never freeze a bird's body. This destroys tissue by crystallizing the fluids within. The sooner after death the body is sent to a lab, the greater the chances of discovering the exact cause of death. As soon as you discover a bird had died, place the body in an airtight plastic bag in a refrigerator. If possible, transport to the lab in an ice chest to retain the temperature. Bring along a thorough history of the bird's life, including age, length of time owned, size of cage, exercise routine, diet, contact with other birds, records of vet visits, and any unusual symptoms that may have been exhibited.

[debbie276]

Your question was answered, I just wanted to say so very sorry for your loss, he was gorgeous!

[Derk]

LauraBird
Sorry for your loss. It may not help for this case, but you might want to see if you have an agricultural lab near you. In Canada, we cab take an animal there and by-pass the vet and any mark up. If you have two birds die at the same time with the same symptoms, you can ask if they can be looked at as one bird.

I had two fire finches bleed out within 12 hrs of purchase. Otherwise, they looked healthy. It cost $115 to find out that there was no way for me to know they had what were essentially bleeding ulcers. They were destined to die.

You can take the necropsy in steps based on the pathologists recommendations. I did not need to go further than a gross examination.

If you do send in the bird, I hope you share the results. Perhaps it is something we can all learn from.

[erine]

LauraBird
So sorry for your loss. I hope you find some answers.
Erin

[Sally]

So sorry for your loss, and I hope you do find some answers. You've already gotten good advice on how to preserve a bird's body for a necropsy.

[LauraBird]

Thanks for all your ideas and support! I took Sunshine in to my Avian vet, and she explained the necropsy process and cost. I couldn't in good conscience pay at least double the price of the bird for what may be unknown results.

Another bird is sick, too, so I brought her in with me for an exam. Long story short, she laid an egg while she was there (obviously doesn't explain my male bird) and looked better, but since I have a few others tucking their heads and the vet heard some cracking while breathing, we will do antibiotics.

Thanks again! Laura

[lovezebs]

LauraBird

Good luck with the rest of your crew.
I hope you took your egg home to be Incubated, if it was Sunshine's baby.

[debbie276]

Best of luck for a speedy recovery for all

[Derk]

LauraBird
Hope the antibiotics clear everything up! Please keep us posted.