Figure 5.9 Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus (feline coronavirus). In the effusive form of FIP, along with intracavitary fluid, the surfaces of abdominal and thoracic viscera are covered with small (1–2 mm) to coalescing pale tan plaques.

      Formalin‐fixed tissues: Samples should be taken from affected organs (in the case of the non‐effusive form, this would be any viscera with detectable granulomas). In the case of the effusive form, multiple samples should be taken from affected viscera (liver, GI, lung). If the clinical presentation is limited to the nervous system and FIP is suspected, it is imperative to submit the brain. Brain lesions are, however, rarely uniquely present.

5.7 Conclusion

      It is impossible to provide necropsy guidelines for every infectious disease encountered in shelter animals—therefore a few characteristic diseases were selected. It is hoped that the information in this chapter will enable the shelter veterinarian to work more closely with pathologists and microbiologists to develop good shelter surveillance programs. This chapter should aid veterinarians in collecting samples so that the pathologist and the diagnostic laboratory can analyze and diagnose problems more accurately. Necropsy has multiple potential roles in shelter animal health: it is a method to detect disease, to establish the cause of death, to assess diagnostic suitability in a single animal, and as a source of knowledge to apply to future cases.

References