It depends entirely on what the cause of death actually was. Some conditions — such as a ruptured tumor or heart disease — leave very clear evidence and are easily diagnosed. Others, like certain cardiac arrhythmias or metabolic disturbances, may leave no detectable trace. We do not guarantee that we can determine a cause of death, but we do guarantee that you will have more information than you do now. A necropsy often helps rule out feared conditions, provides new insight, or simply helps guide the next steps in your decision-making.

Sometimes — if there’s physical evidence. A necropsy can identify disease, injury, internal bleeding, foreign material, or surgical complications that may support or refute concerns. But a necropsy cannot address decision-making, communication, or intent unless those resulted in physical harm. We offer expert medical opinions, but we do not assign legal blame.

In rare cases, yes — but usually only if the reaction caused visible organ damage or led to a chain of events we can identify.

A relatively common scenario we see is a pet that dies soon after receiving a medication or vaccine. Understandably, this raises concerns about a possible reaction. However, necropsy rarely shows direct evidence of anaphylaxis or overdose. Instead, we may discover an unrelated condition that better explains the death — or in some cases, we may find no definitive cause at all.

Some clients ask about toxicology testing. In human medicine, quantitative toxicology refers to laboratory tests that measure exact concentrations of drugs or toxins in the blood or tissues. Unfortunately, these types of tests are not routinely available or validated for use in animals — especially after death. Postmortem changes further complicate interpretation and reliability.

In veterinary medicine, we may be able to test for the presence or absence of certain substances (a “yes or no” result), but we usually cannot determine how much of the drug was present or whether it was at a harmful level. These limitations are important to understand when interpreting toxicology results.

If a drug reaction is suspected and the veterinarian is involved, the pharmaceutical company may sometimes cover the cost of the necropsy through internal reporting programs. We are still able to accept cases directly from pet owners, but involving the veterinarian may help support a formal claim.

Sometimes — but not always, and not as reliably as people often hope.

A relatively common scenario we see is a pet that dies shortly after receiving a medication or vaccine. It’s understandable to suspect a drug reaction. However, necropsy rarely shows direct signs of anaphylaxis or overdose. In many of these cases, we find an unrelated disease process that better explains the death — or we may find no clear cause at all.

Suspected poisoning raises similar challenges. Some toxins (like anticoagulant rodenticides) cause recognizable tissue damage, but most do not. Many poisons leave no visible trace, and necropsy alone often cannot confirm that a toxin was involved.

That said, necropsy can be incredibly helpful in ruling out other causes — such as trauma, internal bleeding, or undiagnosed disease — which may provide clarity even if the suspected substance is not identified.

Toxicology testing is available, but it is not automatically included in a necropsy.

We may recommend submitting toxicology samples if there is a known or suspected exposure, or if the findings suggest a toxic cause. In some cases, we may collect and freeze samples as a precaution.

However, toxicology is a separate specialty from pathology, and interpretation of postmortem samples is complex. Most veterinary labs can test for only a limited range of substances, and there is no single test that detects all poisons. In human medicine, "quantitative toxicology" refers to measuring exact drug or toxin levels. Unfortunately, those tests are rarely validated for animals — especially after death — and results may be difficult or impossible to interpret reliably.

Toxicology panels can be expensive and are not submitted without client approval. If you are specifically concerned about poisoning or drug reaction, please let us know — and be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian as well. In some cases, especially when the veterinarian is involved, the pharmaceutical company may cover necropsy costs through their internal reporting systems.

Often, yes — and that can be just as valuable as proving what did happen. One of the strengths of necropsy is ruling out suspected causes of death. If we find no evidence of trauma, internal bleeding, organ rupture, or surgical failure, we can confidently say those concerns are unlikely. Ruling something out means we looked carefully and found no evidence to support that diagnosis, which can offer reassurance even when we can’t say exactly what did happen.