Hi folks
So an update on this. Who would have thought that a simple text from a neighbour would turn into quite a saga. Actually, it's been a superb learning experience.
I've been stalking for a while and gralloched a good few carcasses over the last few years. I've also passed various courses/exams etc etc and so know a fair amount of theory of what to do in the event of spotting a notifiable disease. However, I've never previously been called upon to do this. Like many part time stalkers I would suggest.
Following on from my original post I called APHA on the Saturday and spoke with a lovely vet called Clara (South West team). She explained that they don't do visits at the w/e but would come over on Monday. Clara duly arrived on Monday at my home (where my barn/larder area is) and proceeded to inspect the carcass. She was here about 2 hours.
Clara removed all of the nodes in the head to start with, not just those recommended in the DSC1 manual. The nodes were carefully placed on the bench, then she went through the rest of the carcass. She said that the nodes in the head looked normal until she'd incised them. She then pointed out tiny white marks which were consistent with TB lesions.
She then moved onto the pluck - commenting that the bronchial nodes didn't seem overly enlarged either. However, once incised they were not in a good condition at all. She palpated the lungs and got me to do the same - pointing out the differences between the soft areas and the front lower parts which were much firmer and not in a good shape at all - again following incision she also showed me various lesions within. The white lumps on the outside were lesions and she incised these showing me the pus that erupted from them. She incised the liver - again pointing out tiny white lesions within. Lastly, she then incised a couple of the large growths near the mesenteric nodes. For my part because they were so big I didn't originally think they were part of the mesenteric chain. Images online tend to show only marginal differences between 'normal' and enlarged.
Clara explained that whilst this particular carcass looked very sick she wouldn't necessarily confirm it was TB because, in her experience, she's seen multiple carcasses where symptoms look extremely obvious only for the carcass to be clear of TB and vice versa. However, in this instance, she said the carcass "presented symptons that were in keeping with an animal suffering from TB"!
The two huge lumps that initially put me off my stride (the two large ones near the kidneys) were filled with pus. In all the deer I've gralloched I'd never come across anything like it, hence the initial "is this TB or not" start to my post.
The whole 2 hours went past very quickly and Clara couldn't have been more helpful. Lots of lessons taken away from this episode:
Had I been more confident when first gralloching in retrospect I could (and probably should) have picked up on the issues with the lungs. Now having felt lungs in bad shape I have a reference point going forward. It's very easy I suspect to be blase about gralloching when pretty much every deer seems healthy.
Being with a very experienced vet whilst looking at all this is very different from being out with fellow 'non vet' stalkers like me who know the theory but perhaps not necessarily what 'problem' deer look like and what to do next! There is no simple "every case of TB looks like this" set of images. Clara said TB presents in many forms although there are some constants - white spots within incised nodes, for example.
APHA is a great resource - considering it is free for us as stalkers. Nothing like using a resource to learn about it. Reading about the process in the DSC1 & 2 manuals is not quite the same as actually going through it. I would suggest that the majority of stalkers are like me in that they are NOT vets and so can only go by a) what they've read in books about deer and b) whatever was learned on professional courses. A bit like passing a driving test - just because we get a full license doesn't mean we're an excellent driver when we first drive about the place on our own.
There were things I could have picked up on my own about this for sure and I'll know for next time.
Deer stalking for most of us I suspect is a part time activity and one which we enjoy. Nonetheless, continously learning and being open to learn about situations which may not quite match the text books or youtube 'how to' videos is really important too. Clearly sooner or later a carcass will not be a text book gralloch and examination with everything in the right place and the right size.
Lastly, as APHA would not dispose of the carcass I then had to find out who would! A local farmer put me in touch with West Country Casualties who turned up the following day and professionally removed the animal, all the liquids and innards all for £40. They were also excellent and I would recommend them to anyone in the South West who needs to dispose of animals.
In conculsion the clean up of the larder finally finished last night, having doused it with Fam 30 (which Clara put me on to) - disgusting stuff. A very interesting experience and I hope my blathering above is helpful for any stalkers who haven't yet dealt with a carcass not in tip top condition. I know some of you will probably read the above and think "What a pillock. He should spotted the potential for TB straight away, made that call and just got on with it!". Well, you're probably right! Nothing like sharing an issue though!
As for the original question "Is it TB", I'm afraid I don't have the answer yet. The samples were sent off and I should hear early next week about the initial findings and then in about 7 weeks once they've attempted to culture the stuff in a lab somewhere! Will keep you posted.
