NSA Scotland's Successful Post-Mortem Event at Vet School

Organised by chairman Peter Myles and vet school lecturer George King the event allowed NSA members to have a few of their failing sheep and then follow them through the entire process from initial health checking and diagnosis of clinical problems through to post mortem (PM) examination. This was run hand in hand with the teaching of final year vet student

After a short introduction from George about their process the group were taken to the Galloway building where the animals are kept for disease investigation and student teaching. Biosecurity is taken very seriously as both the Galloway building and the PM room are considered a ‘contaminated’ and hence a risk for zoonotic diseases.

NSA members were invited to attend and bring their own animals The animals housed within the Galloway Building have generally been donated by farmers following a conversation with their own vet regarding the economic viability of keeping them. They provide final year vet students with valuable opportunities to practice working up cases including taking a history, clinically examining the animal, performing any diagnostic tests that are indicated and then devising a management plan based on the diagnosis that they reach. Under the care of staff and students some animals do recover to full health and are kept giving students a baseline to compare unwell animals to.

A clinical examination guides what further tests such as blood and faecal samples are taken to define any potential problems before the animal is euthanised. “95% of worm problems can be diagnosed from a fresh faecal sample.” Says George. It is advised to collect samples straight from the animal if possible as if collected from the ground the sample can be contaminated. If collecting from the ground “You want a ‘steamer’ -it needs to steam up the container or freezer bag you are using.”

The students perform the FEC by mixing the sample with a saturated saltwater solution before examining it under the microscope. “It allows us to do an egg count -checking for gut worms and coccidia . It allows us to estimate the seriousness of the affliction depending on what type of eggs and how many are present.”

The post-mortem process is the start of the final investigation.PM teaches the students to investigate and understand the causes of death or illness, it is a reality check on their diagnosis formed when the animal was aliveand is an invaluable tool to prepare them for working out in the field.

George King leading presentation in the Galloway Building After our sheep were euthanised they were moved to the PM room where pathologist, Alex Gray conducted an autopsy. This allowed the NSA members to get up close and personal with their sheep to really identify the issues causing the animals to take ill. “It can be something as simple as poor teeth or a joint infection causing lameness that can affect the animal’s health and weight.” Notes Alex.

Being able to look directly inside and study the anatomy close-up can sometimes lead to more questions. “I always tell the farmer and the students that they need to have a specific question in mind that they want the answer to. It can quickly get overwhelming if we keep finding more potential answers that don’t lead to solving the problem.”

Alex is thorough when conducting a post-mortem investigation. Abnormalities like discolouration in organs, lack of or excess fluid, carcass bruising and fat content all can paint a picture in identifying potential issues within the animal. “You can see the carcass isn’t dry which shows this animal was well hydrated, but she doesn’t have a lot of fat stored which suggests she was having problems eating and digesting.” He notes “Sheep are some of the hardiest animals, sometimes they can have all sorts of problems and you will never know because they are able to keep soldiering on.”

Post-mortems are one of the best ways of identifying Ovine Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma (OPA), Johnes and other iceberg diseases. “Whenever we find something potentially wrong we cannot confirm until we see it in black and white.” The farmer will always be contacted after the PM for an update alongside a written report to their own vet . If something particularly interesting is discovered and the farmer and vet are agree, students may go to the farm for further investigationss.

Glasgow vet school currently offer this entire service for free and will even collect animals that are fit to travel from farms within a two-hour radius of Glasgow. For farms based outside of that collection is negotiable depending on animal health and wellbeing. The university will also pay the farmer a small gratuity for their help. Animals best suited for teaching are generally stock with slowly deteriorating health, those that die suddenly are directed to SRUC.

Joining the session was Helen Carty, a Veterinary Investigation Officer for SRUC. SRUC vet services deliver farm animal surveillance on behalf of the Scottish Government. They also provide diagnostic testing. By helping farm animal practices in disease investigation, SRUC vet services are more likely to hear about anything unusual.

The network of surveillance starts with farmers, so strengthening the relationship between farmers and their vets and in turn between vets and SRUC, enhances surveillance. SRUC vet services collaborate closely with the Moredun Resesarch Institute and APHA in England and Wales to gain a GB overview.

SRUC also offer postmortem examinations. A flat fee of approximately £65 per sheep or £110 for a batch of up to four sheep is charged that includes all of the diagnostic testing necessary to reach a diagnosis. SRUC vet services have surveillance hubs throughout the country including Ayr, Perth, Inverness, St Boswells, Aberdeen and Dumfries.

The Ayr hub collaborate closely with the vet school in Glasgow meaning diagnostic PMs can be done there, with undergraduate and postgraduate students benefitting from the case material. St Boswells, Aberdeen and Dumfries also have post-mortem rooms.

Currently all diagnostic data is sourced directly from the farmer which can sometimes only give one side to the story especially when trying to maintain a broad overview. George King believes creating a closer relationship with abattoirs and fallen stock centres to source further diagnostic and survelliance information could prove very helpful.

This surveillance is ultimately to help farmers “We are here to help you guys as much as much as we can as well as helping our students.” Says Kim Hamer one of the Farm Animal team at the Glasgow vet school. It is important to note the investigation process can be slower as it is primarily a teaching experience.

NSA Scotland have plans to hold similar events annually after the success of this one with one of the members rating it “A ten out ten experience, a very informative and interesting day!” The members who were able to bring in their own livestock also highly rated the day being able to see the whole process step by step transparently was described by one member as “invaluable”.

In a statement about the presentation NSA chairman Peter Myles said “It was such a unique opportunity to get an understanding right to the heart of so many illnesses and sheep ailments provided by the talented team at Glasgow Vet School. Many discussions were had throughout the day with clear knowledge transfer to all attendees who agreed they found the day extremely useful and interesting. Having experienced the day for myself, I can appreciate how important it is for this facility to exist and the value it has to those studying and practicing in the future.”