CAHFS San Bernardino

The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in San Bernardino offers limited necropsy services for privately owned small animals (dogs and cats). This document answers the most common questions that we receive regarding small animal necropsies and describes the submission process. Please read it completely before submitting any dog or cat for necropsy. Additional questions can be directed to our receiving department at cahfs-sanbreceiving@ad3.ucdavis.edu.

• DOES CAHFS SAN BERNARDINO PROVIDE NECROPSY SERVICE FOR DOGS AND CATS?
• Yes, on a case by case basis. CAHFS San Bernardino only accepts dog and cat necropsies from veterinarians, vet clinics, government agencies, and law enforcement. No chain-of custody, forensic or legal cases are accepted except from government agencies or law enforcement. Dog and cat necropsies submitted by owners are not accepted. No cases will be accepted to settle a dispute between a veterinarian and their client. CAHFS retains the right to refuse any client. For review and advanced approval, please email a completed submission form to cahfs-sanbreceiving@ad3.ucdavis.edu. Our pathologist on duty must be willing to accept the animal for necropsy and the determination will be made based on the history provided. Dog and cat necropsies are accepted during normal business hours only, Monday – Friday 8AM-5PM; no after hours, weekend or holiday submissions will be received.
• HOW MUCH DOES A DOG OR CAT NECROPSY COST?
• The current starting price for a dog or cat necropsy is $615.00, this includes the current rate for a small animal necropsy of $595.00, and a disposal charge of $20.00.
• WHAT DOES THE NECROPSY INCLUDE?
• The small animal necropsy fee includes gross examination (necropsy), histology, and rabies testing if indicated.
• ARE THERE ANY OTHER COSTS?
• Any ancillary tests and non-standard procedures that are requested will incur additional costs. These include tests like toxicology, bacteriology and immunohistochemistry. Ancillary tests will only be done if they are expressly requested and the submitter has approved the additional costs. Non-Standard procedures that are not included in the necropsy cost include spinal cord removal. If spinal cord removal is requested an additional charge of $50.00 will be added.
• HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE BODY?
• The body should be cooled as quickly as possible after death, ideally bodies should be kept refrigerated but not frozen. Delays in cooling leads to autolysis which can greatly complicate the necropsy, or even render it non-diagnostic in some cases. If the body is adequately refrigerated soon after death, the necropsy can be diagnostic for several days. Freezing, while it can complicate histopathology, is not prohibitive diagnostically. Bodies that have been frozen are usually still diagnostic, as long as they were frozen shortly after death. If you have already frozen the body, keep it frozen for delivery so we can do a controlled thaw. Depending on the size of the body, our controlled thawing process can take several days, adding to the turnaround time.
• HOW DO WE GET THE BODY TO CAHFS?
• Small animal carcasses for necropsy can be delivered directly to the CAHFS San Bernardino lab via hospital staff or courier during normal business hours Monday – Friday or they can be shipped for delivery during normal business hours via an overnight shipping service like FedEx or UPS. Please follow all relevant packing and shipping regulations when using a third party company. Please note, carcasses should not be shipped on Fridays and do not ship a carcass before having spoken with CAHFS personnel and being informed that the case would be accepted.
• AFTER THE NECROPSY, CAN THE BODY BE SENT FOR PRIVATE CREMATION OR PICKED UP FOR BURIAL?
• NO. CAHFS San Bernardino does not release carcasses or tissues from small animals for private aftercare including burial or cremation.  As an alternative to a full necropsy, the submitting veterinarian may choose to perform the necropsy and submit tissues directly to CAHFS San Bernardino as a Field Necropsy. The current cost for histology on dog or cat field necropsy specimens is $430.00.
• HOW ARE WE BILLED?
• Existing CAHFS clients are invoiced monthly. For first time clients, payment for the necropsy, disposal, and any requested ancillary testing is due at the time of submission. Only the submitter will be billed; under no circumstances will a non-veterinarian owner be billed.
• HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE REPORT?
• Turnaround time for the first preliminary report is usually 3-5 business days, a frozen carcass will result in delays of the first preliminary report. A final report may take several weeks. Additional requested ancillary testing can add substantial delays in the final reports, in some instances it may take several months for a final report to be released.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• CONTACT WITH PET OWNERS:
• Under no circumstances will the pathologist or CAHFS staff have any direct communication (phone calls, email, letters) with the pet owners. The pathologist cannot and will not respond to an owner. All communication and questions must be through the submitter.
• SUBMISSION FORM:
• A completed CAHFS Standard Submission form is required for all submissions. 
• RABIES TESTING ONLY:
• CAHFS San Bernardino does not accept dog or cat carcasses, heads or brains for rabies only testing. Contact your local animal control or county public health department for their rabies testing process.