What happens when your pet dies?
You may have a pet who has recently died or have a client who has recently lost a pet. This article will hopefully shed some light on such a devastating topic.
*It is a very sad fact that in our lifetime we will own many pets because of their comparatively short lifespan. We put it at the back of our minds, but one day we will either have to make the traumatic decision to end our pet's life due to illness or old age as they are our responsibility right to the end, or we all hope that one day they will die peacefully at home in their sleep. The third scenario is one we all dread too and that is the tragic loss of ones pet in an accident.
*Clients are never sure when their first pet passes away, what happens next. The decision is yours to make. You can either take your dog home for burial in the garden.
*Once this choice is made, we will wrap your pet in a towel or blanket (or little blue roll if it is a hamster) and place them back in their box for you to take out.
*Distraught owners are taken out through the back away from inquisitive onlookers in the waiting room. If you carry your pet out, be warned that bowels and bladders may open in recently dead animals and some vets may offer a plastic bin liner or you may bring your own insulated blanket to place your pet on to avoid leaking all over you or your car. Horrible harsh realities but clients are usually so distraught that these minor inconveniences are often overlooked.
*The other option is cremation and this is the more common option. All animals that die at a surgery are kept in a large chest freezer and once a week a lorry will collect all the bodies for cremation together at a specially designed incinerator. This is a law and even the tiniest wild fledgling that may die at the surgery will be placed together with all the bigger animals in its own little bag.
*There are private cremation services (Cambridge Pet Crematorium is the most common one) that offer a service whereby your pet is collected individually from the practice and is cremated on its own. You are able to attend this cremation should you wish to do so or view it on CCTV television. The ashes are placed in a little wooden casket with your pet's name engraved on the side and expect to receive it back about 10 days - 2 weeks after the cremation from your vet. You can then choose to scatter the ashes in your pet's favourite place. Many clients really appreciate this service, but it can be very costly for a large dog - in the region of a few hundred pounds.
*Other options available to you involve turning the ashes into diamonds. The process requires deep pockets as prices start at £2000 and processing is a matter of extracting the carbon from the ashes. For those with more modest budgets, ashes can be incorporated into glass paperweights and vases or mixed with paint to create an unusual portrait of the late pet.
*The other option is to have your pet buried at a local pet cemetery. Please try the Association of Private Cemeteries and Crematoria for details of your nearest pet cemetery on 01252 844478 or visit www.appcc.org.uk
*Sadly, new EU ruling has just been passed which the majority of vets will not even be aware of yet. It states that any animal that has died of an infectious disease such as Parvovirus, MRSA or even cat flu has to be classed as hazardous waste and can definitely not be buried at home or even cremated with the other animals, but it has to be cremated at special licensed facilities that could charge up to £6 per kg. I say sadly here as this will impact hugely on organisations such as the RSPCA and rescue centres that have many animals dying of infectious diseases and it will eat away at their valuable profit. It may also result in yet another price rise in private veterinary practices which none of us want to see!
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