Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology

Post-Mortem Inspection of Calves, Sheep and Goats and Pigs

CALVES, SHEEP AND GOATS AND PIGS

Post-mortem inspection of calves

• The detailed examination of lymph nodes of the head is not warranted; but a visual examination of the mouth and tongue should be made for Foot and Mouth disease and calf diphtheria.
• The abomasums has to be examined for peptic ulcers and the small intestines for evidence of dysentery and white scour in.
• The portal lymph nodes have to be examined for evidence of congenital Tuberculosis.
• The umbilicus and joints are to be looked for evidence of septic omphalophlebitis.
• The lungs, kidney and spinal cord are to be examined for melanotic deposits.

Post-mortem inspection of sheep and goats

• These require a less detailed inspection than calves and pigs.
• Examination for satisfactory bleeding and setting the carcasses of sheep and goats.
• The lungs are examined for parasitic infections especially hydatid cysts or nematodes, the liver for fascioliasis and the knee and stifle joints for arthritis.
• Fractured ribs and septic pleurisy may often be encountered.
• For accurate identification of carcasses and their relative organs and to provide reliable information for any subsequent examination on the "detained" line synchronization of conveyorised lines carrying carcasses and offals is absolutely necessary.
• Systems for recording disease data vary according to the particular operation and the type and rate of slaughter.
• While there is ample time to make good records on re-inspection, this is not the case for rail inspection especially in plants with large throughputs, where a form of auto link with a central recording office would seems to be the best system.

Post-mortem inspection of pigs

• Pig carcasses are examined as that for cattle.
• The skin has to be examined for swine erysipelas, swine fever, urticaria and for ‘shotty eruption’.
• The tail has to be examined necrosis, the feet for abscess formation and the udder for mastitis or actinomycosis.
• The viscera has to be examined as for cattle and particular attention to be made to pneumonia and secondary complications that develop in virus pneumonia, mainly pleurisy, pericarditis and peritonitis.
• The submaxillary, bronchial and mesenteric lymph nodes have to be inspected for T.B. Abscess in the submaxillary lymph caused by passage of sharp foreign bodies through the wall of the pharynx.
• Liver is incised in case of cirrhosis and portal lymph nodes as a routine procedure. The kidney surface should be examined.