A calf is not much different to necropsy than a mature cow, but there are a few things to keep in mind when performing a calf necropsy. Usually a calf is much easier to necropsy due to it's size and the fact that there is not as much body fat. Also a calf will not have a mature, fully functional rumen. Keep in mind that when you open up the calf, the abomasum is the largest forestomach compartment. Remember that the intestine will connect to the abomasum.

Due to the types of diseases that calves commonly catch, it is important to look closely at the gastrointestinal tract, the umbilical cord, liver, lung, and the joints. If the calf is still receiving milk, there should be clotted milk in the abomasum.

When collecting tissue samples it is important to keep in mind the symptoms of disease the calf showed prior to death. If it had signs of respiratory disease you should take multiple samples of the lungs for culture and histology. With signs of gastrointestinal signs, i.e. scours, be sure to take multiple loops of intestine as well as feces.

Calf urinary bladder.

It is not uncommon for the calf to have a large urinary bladder.

Abortions -

Abortions are a common occurrence in dairy cattle. It is important from a herd health standpoint to try and obtain an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the abortion, however you should keep in mind that accurate diagnosis only occurs in approximately 50% of the cases. Due to the low likelihood of an accurate diagnosis and complicated sampling techniques, in general it is desirable to send the entire fetus and placenta, along with a blood sample from the dam to your veterinarian or local diagnostic lab.