Gibbon Necropsy Protocol

A necropsy examination is one of our most important, occasionally our only, and often our last opportunity to collect valuable diagnostic and archival samples after an animal dies.  Listed below is a sample necropsy report and list of recommended tissues for routine collection during a necropsy examination. Please collect two sets of tissues for formalin fixation; submit one set to your pathologist and archive one permanently at your institution.  Also, please request that your referral pathology lab or pathology department permanently archive the paraffin blocks and glass slides from these cases.  If they are unable to perform this service, please send the blocks and slides to the Gibbon SSP Pathology Advisor (DO NOT forward formalin fixed tissues without first contacting the Pathology Advisor).  While it may not always be possible to collect all of the recommended samples from each animal, the more consistently these goals can be achieved and reports generated the greater the chance that we will accurately identify diseases and disease trends in our collections.  Please send copies of your completed gross and histologic necropsy reports (using your standard forms or the attached form with inclusion of results from ancillary diagnostics) to the SSP Gibbon Veterinary Advisor and Pathology Advisor listed below.  The submitted information will be included in a year-end summary report for captive collections of gibbons in the United States and abroad that will be available on the AAZV website or from the Veterinary Advisor.

Veterinary Advisor:                                                    Pathology Advisor:

P.K. Robbins                                                              D McAloose

Veterinary Services                                                    Wildlife Conservation Society

1354 Old Globe Way                                                  2300 Southern Blvd

San Diego, CA 92101                                                 Bronx, NY  10460

Phone: 619-231-1515  x 4128                                    Phone: (718) 220-7105

Fax:                                                                            Fax: (718) 220-7126

Email: probbins@sandiegozoo.org                             Email: dmcaloose@wcs.org

 

General Necropsy Information:

1)    Tissue collection

a)     Collect normal and abnormal tissue samples from all major organ systems

b)    Tissue samples should be no thicker than 0.5 cm

c)     Tissue: 10% neutral buffered formalin (ratio) = 1:10

i)      Multiple tissue samples can be placed in a single bucket, but maintain ratio

d)    Tissues can be saved or shipped in smaller volumes of formalin once adequately fixed

2)    Specific tissue collection and fixation recommendations

a)     Lymph nodes: Label as to location (e.g. mesenteric, mandibular) when grossly abnormal or in cases of suspect hematopoietic or lymphoid disease

b)    Heart:  Collect 3 longitudinal sections (minimum) such that atrium, ventricle and valve from right and left freewalls (include papillary muscle) and interventricular septum (include right AV valve and aortic outflow tract) are collected

c)     Gastrointestinal tract:  Open entire tract along its long axis.  Collect 2-3 sections (3-4 cm long) from each part of tract.  Label as to location when grossly abnormal or in cases of suspect gastrointestinal tract disease.

d)    Endocrine organs: Collect organs from both the left and right sides.  Longitudinally section adrenal gland to assess cortical and medullary tissue.

e)     Brain: Fix whole if possible.  Place in separate bucket to improve fixation if possible.

i)      If only half brain can be collected, section brain longitudinally along midline

f)     Eye: Fix whole (not punctured and do not inject with formalin)

g)     Neonates and fetuses: 

i)      Collect umbilical stump and surrounding tissue. 

ii)    Evaluate for malformations (e.g. cleft palate, cardiovascular abnormalities). 

iii)   Evaluate lungs (e.g. float in formalin if breathing occurred; sink if not inflated (e.g. stillborn), diseased (e.g. pnemonia)).

iv)   Collect fetal membranes if available.

3)    Diagnostic samples

a)     Infectious disease

i)      Store at ?70C (to maintain DNA, proteins, RNA)

ii)    Submit samples (e.g. culturettes, fresh tissue, feces) to internal or external labs as necessary for ancillary diagnostic testing

b)    Toxicology

i)      Store tissues or samples at ?20C

ii)    In cases of suspected toxicity, contact a toxicologist for recommendations relative to tissue collection, preservation, test type and shipping instructions

iii)   For generic toxicologic sample collection, collect two sets (1 in aluminum foil, 1 in plastic or glass) 5 grams each, of the following tissues

(1)  Stomach contents

(2)  Adipose tissue

(3)  Kidney

(4)  Liver

(5)  Eye

 

 

 

Gross Necropsy Report ? General information

Species:	Sex (M/F/U):
Common Name:	Date of birth/age:
Institution:	Date of death:
Accession/ID No:	Type of death (Euth/Natural):
Studbook No.:	Necropsy date:
Other ID No:	Body weight:
Enclosure ID/indoor/outdoor:
Parent or hand-reared:
Dam:
Sire:
Environmental/weather conditions at time of death:
Movements or relocations (date, from and to):
Diet:
Contraceptive history (contracepted: Y/N; type; date):
Proven breeder (Y/N; number of offspring produced; birth history (live, stillborn, abortion, etc.)

 

 

Clinical history and past treatments (add additional sheets for clinical history or ancillary diagnostics as necessary):

Tissue examination and collection checklist

TISSUE	GA	FF	Histo	Photo	-20 -70	TISSUE	GA	FF	Histo	Photo	-20 -70
GENERAL-external						ABDOMEN
Oral cavity & teeth						Diaphragm
Tonsils						Stomach
Skin and nails						Small intestines
Subcutis						Large intestines
Air sacs						Pancreas
Skeletal muscle						Spleen
Peripheral nerves						Liver & gall bladder
Mammary gland						Lymph nodes
Umbilicus						Aorta & vessels
BONES & JOINTS						Kidneys
Bone marrow (femur)						Ureters
Bones						Urinary bladder
Hips						Urethra
Knees						Adrenal glands
Tarsi						Ovaries
Shoulders						Oviduct/Uterus
Carpi						Vagina/vulva
Atlantooccipital						Testes
CAVITIES						Access sex gland
Thoracic cavity						Penis/prepuce
Abdominal cavity						HEAD
PLUCK						Eyes
Tongue						Ears & bullae
Thyroids/parathyroids						Skull/nasal cavity
Esophagus						Brain/Meninges
Trachea & Lungs						Pituitary gland
Heart/Pericardial sac						SPINE
Aorta & other vessels						Vertebral column
Thymus/lymph nodes						Spinal cord

GA = Gross appearance: NGL=no gross lesions; AB=abnormal; NE=not examined; NF=not found; NP=not present

FF = Tissue fixed in formalin: + = tissue collected and fixed

Histo = Tissue submitted for histology: + = tissues submitted

AD = Ancillary diagnostics: + = ancillary diagnostic performed (please include results w/report)

PHOTO = Photograph: + = PHOTO taken

-20/-70 = Frozen tissue temperature: please list storage temp as ?20, -70 or other temp if applicable

 

 

Gross Descriptions.

Please describe all abnormal gross findings, including dimensions (cm x cm x cm). 

General condition (include assessment of body and post-mortem condition):

 

Musculoskeletal system (axial, appendicular, tympanic bullae, spinal column):

  

Body cavities (thoracic, abdominal, pericardial):

  

Hemolymphatic systems (tonsil, lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow):

 

Respiratory system (nasal passages, trachea, lungs, air sacs):

 

Cardiovascular system (heart, vessels):

 

Digestive system (oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, intestinal tract, liver, gall bladder):

  

Urinary system (kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra):

 

Reproductive system:

 

Endocrine system (adrenals, pancreas, thyroids & parathyroids, pituitary gland):

  

Nervous (brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves) and special senses (eyes, ears):

  

Gross Diagnoses (please add additional diagnoses if necessary):

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

Gross Comments:

 

 

Results of ancillary diagnostics:

1.

2. 

3.

4.

5.

 

Please attach/forward histology report to pathology advisor if available.