Postmortem Changes
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24 Terms
Factors that influence postmortem changes:
o Ambient temperature (animals body will decompose faster if its hot)
o Size of animal (larger animal will decompose faster)
o External insulation
o Conditioning (adipose tissue)
What is rigor mortis
contraction of the muscles
Animals with greater muscle mass have more stiff rigor mortis
When do we see when there is no rigor mortis
o Occasionally there is no rigor mortis—starved animals or animals in which ATP is otherwise exhausted perimortem
When does Rigor mortis occur
Starts 1-6hrs after death and wears off 24-72 hrs later
What is algor mortis
the body equilibrates with ambient temperature
What does algor mortis look like
o Hair thickness, fat, ambient temp., and body temp. at time of death all involved
What is Livor mortis
red discoloration of the skin due to settling of blood by gravity
When does livor mortis occur
o Can be difficult to appreciate in the skin in most animals
o The same effect can be seen in some internal organs as well (discussed in a later section)
What happens to the body in postmortem
o Immediately postmortem, the body begins to deteriorate and rot
What is autolysis
natural breakdown of cells
What are the characteristics features of autolysis
o loss of cellular detail
o softening of tissues
o Loss of normal color—liver turns tan
What is Bile imbibition (in autolysis)
(yellow to green discoloration to tissue around gallbladder)
What is Hemoglobin imbibition (in autolysis)
(diffuse red discoloration to all tissues)
What is Putrefaction—
breakdown of cells by overgrowth of cadaver bacteria
What is pseudomelanosis (Putrefaction)
(blue to green discoloration of tissues due to iron sulfide)
What else occur in putrefaction
o Gas distention and bubbles in tissue
o Bloat
Sample collection at necropsy covers what sciences
o Histopathology
o Bacteriology
o Parasitology
o Toxicology
o Virology
o Serology
Why is toxicology important and where do we collectt samples
o Liver
o Kidney/urine (THE BEST option, minus urine)
o Adipose tissue
o Brain
o Stomach/rumen contents
o Feed (hay, grain, kibble)
o Eyeball
collect fresh no need for formalin
How do we collect these samples and where do we put them
o Get a LOT – large ziplock of feed and better to get more than too little
o Does not need to be sterile
Why is Serology important
o Evaluate exposure to pathogens
o Includes several different types of tests
From the serum what is considered the best
o Serum taken antemortem is best
In a pinch, sometimes can be taken from
heart blood or spun down from unfixed lung
Why is PCR important science ?
o Identify pathogen genetic material
o Can use unfixed tissue or FFPE tissue blocks
Why is parasitology important
o ID parasites
o Use FRESH (unfixed) feces
o Parasites in tissue can be seen on histopathology
o External and large parasites can be fixed