Louise's Necropsy

 HIESTAND, LETISHA Fax:
360 E ROCKSPRINGS RD Accession Date: 08/22/11
BENSON, AZ
Case: 11-4137 Species: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Animal ID: LOUISE Breed: Burro, Ass, Donkey
Owner: HIESTAND Age: 6 Years
Necropsy
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Received is the cadaver of a 6 years old female donkey. History includes heavy breathing, went down, gums
white, temp. 102.2, breath very nasty smelling (stomach smell, not bad tooth). Got up and walked in small
circles, went down, front legs stiffened, rear legs spasmed. Convulsed and died, all in about one hour.
Gross Necropsy Findings:
EXTERNAL FINDINGS: The animal has the typical body conformation and hair coloration of the breed. The
hair coat is clean and in good condition. There are no abnormal discharges from any of the body orifices.
INTERNAL FINDINGS:
General: There is ample fat in the subcutaneous and abdominal regions. Mild to moderate icterus is present. The
peritoneal cavity contains a small amount of bloody, cloudy fluid.
Respiratory System: The trachea and large bronchi are clear. The ventral zone of the lungs have a pattern of
small depressed foci interwoven with inflated lung parenchyma, accompanied by mottled light and dark red
coloration. There are no areas of definitive consolidation. Bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes are normal.
Digestive System: The mouth and esophagus are empty and the mucosa is normal. The stomach is filled with
green forage. The small intestine is empty. The colon and cecum are approximately half filled with normal
ingesta. The rectum contains a few normal fecal balls. The mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract is normal
throughout. There are several patches of ecchymotic hemorrhage on the serosal surface of the small intestine
with extension to the mesentery. Several small ecchymotic hemorrhagic areas are present on the serosal surface
of the colon. The mesenteric lymph nodes, and pancreas are normal. The liver is uniformly pale yellow-brown,
fatty, extremely friable, and appears to be moderately enlarged. There is a large area of necrosis of the fat of the
mesenteric root, extending prominently into the perirenal fat of the left kidney and to a mild degree into the right
perirenal fat.
Cardiovascular System: The myocardium, chambers, and valves of the heart are normal. The associated large
veins and arteries are normal.
Urogenital System: The kidneys are unusually pale. The urinary bladder is half full with clear normal urine. The
uterus is gravid with a well developed fetus that has a full hair coat and appears to be completely developed and
in the last month of gestation. There is a small amount of milk in the mammary glands.
Lymphatic System: The spleen is congested and enlarged. There is ample fat in the suspensory ligament of the
spleen and most of it is necrotic. The thymus is not identified
Endocrine System: The thyroids, adrenals and pituitary gland are normal.
Nervous System: The meningeal vasculature of the brain is very congested by the brain appears normal. The
large femoral and brachial nerves
are normal.
Musculoskeletal System: The musculature is normal. The bones and proximal joints of the limbs are normal.
Histopathology:
Liver: There is extreme fatty degeneration characterized by the presence of fat vacuoles in the cytoplasm in most
of the hepatocytes.
Fat tissue from mesenteric root and left perirenal regions: There are extensive, coalescing foci of necrosis in all
the sections.
Kidney: There is marked fatty degeneration of tubular epithelial cells.
Brain, Heart, Lung, Spleen, Small Intestine: There is postmortem autolysis with many saprophytic bacteria
present in these tissues. However, there are no visible lesions in any of the sections.
Diagnosis and Comments:
Hepatic lipidosis. This condition, more commonly known as fatty liver syndrome, is one of the more common
liver diseases in donkeys. It is a metabolic disease and is usually associated with stress or nutritional problems.
This jenny was pregnant with a fetus that was near full term. Pregnancy is an acknowledged factor that can lead
to hepatic lipidosis. The current hot, humid weather was undoubtedly another stress factor. Nutritional factors
can also contribute to this condition. A check of the diet as related to the condition of the animals is indicated.
Fatty liver syndrome is a rather common problem in dairy cattle that are overfed and overweight.
Reported on: 08/26/11
Jack A. Schmitz, DVM PhD
Diplomate, ACVP
Bacteriology
Culture, Aerobic Verified on: 08/25/11
Animal ID Specimen Isolate
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Liver 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Lung 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Tissue, Fresh Spleen 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Escherichia coli
FAT Tissue, Fresh 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Escherichia coli
LOUISE Swab, Abscess 4 + Staphylococcus aureus
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Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE
END OF REPORT
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Case: 11-4137 - HIESTAND, LOUISE 

 * If you have donkeys DO NOT feed them alfalfa & sweet feed, unless you want their insides to look like this at the age of 6 years.