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Necropsy Options and Recommendations
We recommend that necropsies be performed at the University of Prince Edward
Island in order to ensure consistency in interpretation of results.
Additionally, recognizing that autopsies can be expensive, the Atlantic
Veterinary College has agreed to provide this service for potentially affected
puppies for less than $200 Canadian (plus FedEx shipping charges).
Necropsies can be arranged by contacting
Dr. Shannon Martinson . This service requires a request for necropsy from
your veterinarian. Bodies should be clearly labelled as "Tissue Samples"
to facilitate customs release.
If you choose to use an alternate veterinarian/facility to perform the
autopsy please provide the pathologist with a copy of the
Gross Pathology Protocol
and ensure that the supervising veterinarian takes careful note of
the total body mass to heart mass ratio. It is also important to keep in
mind that this condition is easily misdiagnosed on autopsy. Damage to
heart muscles is achieved in a very short amount of time and the heart can
appear relatively normal upon first inspection. Often the majority of
damage is observed in the lung, which fills with fluid as a result of damage to
the heart. Because this is a relatively rare condition in young dogs, the
expertise of the researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island may prove
a useful resource for supervising veterinarians. Please contact
Dr. Martinson for more information.
In the event a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy is confirmed, DNA samples will be
required for the purposes of the study. The researchers prefer that a
sample of the kidney about the size of a thumb be harvested for this purpose.
Tissue should NOT be placed in formaline. Please contact
Dr. Shannon Martinson for more information.
ALL information will be kept
confidential upon request.
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