Necropsy Services Group Fee Schedule

Performing pet autopsies for veterinarians and owners since 2008

The total cost for a complete necropsy examination (pet autopsy) performed with the intent to determine the cause of death is typically between $1500-$3000 depending on the size of the pet, circumstances surrounding its death, the need for courier service and request for cremation.

Please call the number below to talk to the veterinary pathologist on call to get a more accurate quote for the services we provide. Our services include necropsy examination (pet autopsy) and microscopic exam of tissues (histopathology) collected during the necropsy. Additional charges may apply if additional testing such as PCR testing, toxicology, immunohistochemisty, microbiology, or radiology are needed or requested. The pathologist on call can also provide cost quotes for courier service fees and private cremation fees that may also apply. An estimate for the total charges that may be incurred for any post mortem exam can be obtained via telephone. (530) 297-0470

Service Definitions

Necropsy Examination

Refers to the dissection of the bodies of dead animals in order to determine the time, circumstances and potential cause(s) of death, the presence or absence of infectious or contagious diseases or to document the presence of trauma, injury or animal abuse.

Cause of Death

Refers to an official determination of conditions resulting in an animal's death.

Gross

Refers to evaluation of the internal organs during the autopsy with the unaided eye (no magnification or microscope)

Microscopic or Histopathologic

Refers to the evaluation of tissue samples collected during the autopsy with a microscope.  Tissue samples that are collected during the autopsy must first be fixed in formalin (formaldehyde) and then trimmed for special processing and microscopic slide preparation.

Board Certified Pathologist

Refers to specialized training in pathology. Requirements include three years of residency training and passing a rigorous board examination.

PCR

Polymerase chain reaction is a laboratory test that is a fast, and highly accurate, way to diagnose certain infectious diseases.

Toxicology

Refers to branch of science concerned with the nature, effects, and detection of poisons. At NSG we can collect samples (usually urine or liver) and submit them to the toxicology lab at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory.

Radiology

Refers to the use of X-ray imaging to detect disease. In the setting of post mortem pathology it is most useful in detecting bone fractures. Other soft tissue pathology is more easily diagnosed during autopsy.

Microbiology

Refers to evaluation for the presence of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, etc). This can be performed through direct culture methods or evaluation of tissue samples collected during necropsy for specific genomic sequences using PCR.