Introduction of our autopsy service

* No Boundaries Animal Pathology LLC in Tokyo provides postmortem examinations (autopsy) of animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and birds for example, to determine the cause of death and to identify the nature and extent of any other diseases present.

* An experienced board-certified veterinary anatomic pathologist (Ikki Mitsui, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVP, DJCVP) conducts the autopsies and monitors the whole diagnostic procedure.

* Autopsy is performed on-site (such as at a veterinary clinic) or by carry-in or mail-in format (at our Tokyo lab) depending on the individual situation or preference of the requester.

* The autopsy report is written in English and contains descriptions, diagnoses, and photographs of gross and microscopic lesions including final diagnoses and comments and other relevant information such as the results of bacteriology.

* When desired, a cosmetic procedure is performed following the autopsy (skin suture, cleaning of stains, grooming) which restores the appearance of the animal to its prior natural state when requested. This helps to alleviate the trauma some people experience regarding having an autopsy performed on their animal. It is important to perform autopsies because they are an important source for obtaining valuable scientific information to improve the lives of existing animals and those of future animals. The cosmetic procedure is performed for an additional fee.

* For your reference, a scientific poster explaining the cosmetic procedure (presented at the 2024 ACVP annual meeting in Seattle, USA) is attached. 

* Fee schedule of autopsy services is attached. 

* Please call or e-mail for more details.
  Phone: 080-8904-3988 (8:00 am to 7:00 pm, Tuesday to Saturday)
  Mail: mitsui@no-boundaries.jp

How to request an autopsy

Call or e-mail to check the availability of the pathologist.

To request an appointment for an autopsy, please provide the following information via e-mail.

Requester

Name of institution (veterinary clinic)
Name of referring veterinarian
Institution’s postal address, phone number, e-mail address
Name of animal owner/caretaker
Animal owner’s postal address, phone number, e-mail address

 

Patient (animal)

Name
Age
Sex
Neutered?   Yes/No
Species and breed
Coat color
Number of animals of the same kind in the household/facility
Vaccination history
Contents and time of the last meal before death
Date, time, and place of death
Brief clinical history (you can attach digital file(s))
Brief descriptions on how the animal died

We need an “autopsy consent form” signed by the requester. Please print this page, include the date and signature where indicated on the form, take a photo (e.g., by smart phone), then attach it to the e-mail message.

Autopsy consent form

 

  • I do not object to any fluid, tissue or organ being taken for scientific research, education and / or quality purposes.
  • I do not object to other personnel (e.g. veterinary medical students) attending the autopsy for educational purposes.
  • I understand it will be necessary for small pieces of tissue (diagnostic samples) to be retained permanently for laboratory testing. This is essential for a complete, informative autopsy.
  • No Boundaries Animal Pathology LLC may dispose of the tissue samples or organs in a lawful and respectful way.
  • By signing, I declare that I have the legal authority to authorize the autopsy.

 

Date                                                 Signature of requester