By Clay Wright, Noble Foundation

Cattle producers vaccinate cattle against common viral and bacterial diseases, control parasites, try to create a safe environment, and regularly monitor general herd health status. Sooner or later, though, all producers will experience sickness and death loss in their operations.

The degree of concern about the sickness or death of an animal is influenced by the producer's experience, the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the number of cattle affected. Every event, however, should be questioned, evaluated and resolved to the satisfaction of the producer. It is important to know what you are dealing with so an appropriate response can be initiated.

When an animal gets sick, we generally treat it based on the symptom or group of symptoms exhibited, using our own knowledge and experience and following routine treatment regimens assigned by a qualified veterinarian. Treatment may be changed until a sick animal shows adequate response to the product(s) used.

There are, however, other tools that can help to identify the specific cause of disease: nasal swabs, blood samples, manure samples, etc. Knowing what specific organisms are present and which treatments are most effective can decrease response time and reduce the severity and spread of a disease.

The same is true when an animal dies. In some instances, the cause of death is obvious; in others, it is reasonably apparent and at times, there is no clear explanation. Regardless, the most useful and inclusive diagnostic tool available to us is a necropsy — a post-mortem examination performed by an experienced veterinarian. The objective is an accurate diagnosis of the cause of death.

Although we usually think of a necropsy as an internal examination of the dead animal, the evaluation/diagnosis process begins with gathering all relevant information surrounding the death: climate, animal stress levels, nutrition status, pasture composition and condition, past immunization regimen, possible exposure to disease, number of cattle affected, obvious symptoms, etc.

Then, after a thorough external inspection of the dead animal, the veterinarian will conduct the systematic internal examination. When indicated, tissue and fluid samples will be taken and submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for further specific analysis.

When a necropsy is performed in a timely manner, a dead animal can often reveal more than a live, sick one. It should be done as soon as possible after death, since tissue changes begin to occur almost immediately. The window of opportunity will depend primarily on air temperature and the nature of the illness itself.

Even when intensive precautionary animal health measures are taken, we can only hope to minimize the occurrence of disease. Containment and low treatment costs depend on early, accurate diagnosis of the problem. A timely necropsy by a qualified veterinarian is one of the most valuable tools available, and should be a routine practice in every operation.

A final word — technically, a necropsy is not complete until the carcass is disposed of. Each state has published rules addressing proper disposal of dead livestock. Burial-to-specification or burning are the most common approved means of disposal. Be familiar with, and follow these guidelines to ensure you are in compliance with the law and that the dead animal is not a continued source of infection to other cattle.