Describe a basic necropsy approach for a small exotic rodent and a key organ to inspect for systemic disease.

• A. External examination, followed by opening the thoracic and abdominal cavities; assess liver, spleen, lungs, heart, GI tract; note signs and collect representative tissues for histology.
• B. Only perform external examination; no internal examination.
• C. Dissect every organ in detail without noting findings.
• D. Perform necropsy only if the animal survived long-term.

Answer: (A)

A basic necropsy of a small exotic rodent starts with a thorough external check to note body condition, signs of trauma, or abnormalities on the skin and orifices. Then open the thoracic and abdominal cavities in a careful, systematic way to survey the major organ systems. Inspect the liver, spleen, lungs, heart, and GI tract for changes in size, color, texture, surface lesions, and any fluids or signs of disease. Record what you see and collect representative tissue samples from those organs for histology, since microscopic examination often reveals disease processes that aren’t obvious on gross inspection. This approach ensures no area is missed and provides material to confirm or clarify systemic disease.

Other options skip essential steps or misstate the purpose: internal examination is necessary for a complete view of systemic disease; dissecting without documenting findings isn’t informative, and necropsy isn’t something done only if survival was long-term.