"Sudden" death - preliminary necropsy report

Nancy_in_GA · #1 12/30/11, 03:10 PM

We lost a 7.5 yo nubian X doe 3 days before Christmas. She ate a couple of pieces of graham cracker from my mom's hand, went to the back of the barn, fell over, screamed about 4 times and just quit breathing. We took her to the vet school for a necropsy and the preliminary report came back today.

"We found severe hemoabdomen that resulted from a focal perforation in the uterine wall. The cause of the rupture appears to have been a weakening in the wall in one area due to proliferation of tissue throughout most of the wall. This proliferative tissue on the uterus is likely neoplasia---lymphoma is one of our top differentials because the tissue was fatty, smooth and soft. About 2-3 liters of blood was in the abdomen"

The vet said she most likely went into shock just before death due to rapid blood loss. They will "do some histology on the uterus and liver" when the lab reopens after Christmas break on Monday.

So even though the death was sudden, it was probably a long time in the making. The vet said this was a bit of an unusual case. We didn't notice any signs. She acted just like the other goats and never lost her appetite. I sure hope the tumor wasn't painful, but you know how good animals are at ignoring pain.

Just thought this might be useful information. I should add that she was not pregnant nor exposed to a buck.

Donna1982 · #2 12/30/11, 03:27 PM

Sorry for your loss but at least you know what happened.

andabigmac · #3 12/30/11, 03:30 PM

Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I couldn't imagine losing one of my older does.

cjmeatgoats · #4 12/30/11, 03:39 PM

I'm sorry for your loss That is heart wrenching! I am glad you know what it was now

Goat Servant · #5 12/30/11, 03:52 PM

Thank you Nancy for posting this info. Sorry she left you but glad it was quick.

mpete · #6 12/30/11, 04:33 PM

wow... I am so sorry. It is good to know the cause though.... Thanks for sharing

Nancy_in_GA · #7 01/18/12, 06:18 PM

Thank you all so much for your thoughts. I appreciate it. Thought I would wait for the final report to come back before answering. The tumor was cancerous, they called it a leiomyosarcoma. No evidence of metastasis. They even cited a couple of articles on it. In case anyone is interested I found them online:

http://vet.sagepub.com/content/37/1/89.full.pdf+html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2216438/

But I'm so frustrated with the UGA vet school. They don't seem to know what a "liver panel" is. This is the 2nd necropsy that I've asked for it to be done, so I can help determine if the goats need copper supplement or not, and they didn't do it again. This time I had to go through a private vet (new rules, they won't even talk to you without going through a vet now), so I called the vet back and asked if she would ask UGA for a liver panel to test for copper levels. I thought this time it would go through, but she just left a message on my answering machine and said the vet school said the liver looked just fine and was not involved in the cause of death.

So I've been searching the internet to make sure I've got the name correct and it can also be called either a "mineral panel" or a "(tissue) heavy metal screen." They do it at other vet schools. I'm going to try calling her again in the morning. I'm beginning to think I imagined there is such a thing, but I remember Vicki talking about it.

You don't get many opportunities to do this. Nine more tries (I have 9 other goats) and it won't matter anyway.

Sorry for this long post. I'm just venting.

nehimama · #8 01/18/12, 06:28 PM

I'm sorry about your devastating loss, Nancy, and I do wish they'd do that liver panel for you!

3ravens · #9 01/18/12, 07:05 PM

Don't know about goats, but in humans a liver panel is a blood test and has to be drawn off a living breathing person to be valid. Maybe next time you draw blood for testing you can send one in?

Backfourty,MI. · #10 01/18/12, 07:15 PM

I am so sorry about your doe Nancy but at least you know why she died & so suddenly at that. I always feel bad for folks when they have an animal die suddenly & the animal seemed fine, would always make you wonder why & what happened so at least you have some peace of mind that there was nothing you could have done for her. I bet she had a wonderful life at your farm & was well loved & cared for.

Sure hope you get the liver panel done.
Hugs to you & take a deep breath.

3ravens, seems like I read somewhere here a few years back that for a liver panel to determine copper levels in a goat it has to be done after they die but I could not be remembering right either. I think it was a post by Vicki McGaugh that I read it in but don't quote me cause it's been a few years.

farmmom · #11 01/18/12, 08:30 PM

What you may be needing is a liver biopsy - taking a small area of the liver for testing.

Suzyq2u · #12 01/18/12, 08:35 PM

Wow, interesting. Glad she seemed to not be in pain until the end.
Thanks for sharing.

julieq · #13 01/18/12, 08:37 PM

So sorry for your loss. We battled skin cancer in one last year and after multiple freezings and two surgeries she seems to be clear. But one never knows....

MARYDVM · #14 01/18/12, 08:39 PM

To do a liver panel you need a freshly drawn blood sample in a coagulation tube. Can't be done during a necropsy.

Heavy metal screen is looking for toxins - lead, mercury, etc. Don't know if copper would be included.

Ranger · #15 01/18/12, 09:49 PM

I'm so sorry about your doe. I am glad, though, that you know for sure that it was nothing that you could have prevented.

southerngurl · #16 01/18/12, 10:36 PM

Yes, a liver biopsy. Explain that you understand the liver was not involved in the cause of death, but that you want the biopsy to get an idea of the mineral status in your herd.

Nancy_in_GA · #17 01/19/12, 07:45 AM

After thinking about it over night, I believe the best strategy would be to go physically to the diagnostic lab (so they can't just tell me over the phone they can't talk to me except through a vet and hang up). Don't leave the building until they tell me some identification number for the test, say X, then call the vet and tell her to call them and ask for X. I should have thought of that before, but assumed the vet would know what I was talking about.

The vet school did save a sample of the liver. I believe copper would still be present even if the liver wasn't fresh. The copper wouldn't deteriorate, would it? But I guess I'll find out. I'll try to get over there today or tomorrow. It's not far from here.

Thanks for the replies and comments. I'll let you know what happens.

Nancy_in_GA · #18 01/19/12, 05:30 PM

Made it to the vet school Diagnostic Lab today, and after difficulty getting past the receptionist (3 times she told me they couldn't talk to me, only the vet, and 3 times I told her I wasn't trying to bypass the vet), she finally led me to another girl who knew exactly what the test was. All I had to do was say the word "copper." She even called my vet and got the approval. Wow, what an expediter!

Turns out they have to send the specimen to Michigan State for testing. They don't do that test here. According to the MSU website the cost should be about $37 plus shipping. This just became a "thing" with me. I was ready to do it no matter what the cost.

Backfourty,MI. · #19 01/19/12, 05:42 PM

Thank Gosh you finally had someone that understood what you wanted.

southerngurl · #20 01/19/12, 06:15 PM

Glad you finally got through.