What is the term for examining dead animals?

The correct term for examining dead animals is necropsy. This practice is specifically used in veterinary medicine to perform post-mortem examinations on animals to determine the cause of death, study disease processes, or for research purposes. Necropsy involves systematic examination of the body and can include dissection, analysis of tissues, and collection of samples to better understand the underlying health issues or environmental factors that may have contributed to the animal's demise.

In contrast, autopsy refers to similar examinations performed on humans, while pathology broadly encompasses the study of diseases, including causes and effects, not limited to post-mortem examinations. Mortuary examination typically pertains to practices related to the handling of deceased individuals, more connected to preparation for burial than to the examination of the animal's body for epidemiological or veterinary inquiry.