SAC has defended its post-mortem service record in Aberdeen, following criticism from farmers in the northeast that too many specimens are being returned with a no-diagnosis result.

George Caldow, head of SAC consulting veterinary services, told Farmers Journal Scotland: “I am not aware of any complaint in relation to our post-mortem service at Aberdeen. It has a diagnostic rate of over 80% for carcase post-mortems, which we consider to be an excellent benchmark, said George.

“Of course there are a number of reasons why a result that is achieved may not be what the farmer would want or expect and we are happy to discuss such situations further with the farmer and their vet. Furthermore, a no-diagnosis result can be very useful, because it means the common causes of death have been examined for and largely ruled out.”

Farmers Journal Scotland will run a guide to post-mortems in the coming weeks.