what happens...

[ondemania]

to a pet that gets taken to the vet when it has died. what do they do with the animal?

[Clanad]

At least here in the U.S., it depends entirley on what the owner wants done and is willing to pay for.  It can range from the pet being disposed of at a landfill animal disposal facility to incineration.  Some owners elect to pay for having the pet cremated and the ashes returned...

[woofgang]

same here. They incinerate the body, but you can get the ashes returned if you wish, but this costs more. Don't think we have the landfill option. Alterantely you can keep the body and bury it yourself

[Eels]

There's no way a pet would go for landfill in the UK - most practices send them all for cremation - if owners want individual cremation and ashes returned this costs extra.

[Robinia]

If you or anyone reading this has a pet I'd say it was a good idea to decide what you will do when sadly that pet dies.  I know it's not a nice thing to think of but when it happened to my previous dog I was too distraught to decide properly. He was a very big dog, (it also was snowing & the ground was frozen) and burial in the garden wasn't an option.  I've often wished I'd had him cremated & had his ashes to scatter.

[widowpurple]

Hi

I used to work at a vets and I am not sure if this is the answer you are looking for or whether this is the same with all vets but they are kept in cold storage until they are removed for 'cremation'.  I hope this answers your question.

Salli

[Clare A]

Sorry if this upsets, but I know that here in the Isle of Man (British Isles) they are bundled into a yellow 'clinical waste' bag and go to the municipal incinerator. They needn't, if you wish to take the deceased home and dispose of the remains yourself.

[peanut]

I think that would be the hardest decision ive ever had to make in my life. Burrying my cat would subject him to insects, the dirt, the possibility of being dug up at a future date by construction workers, and the possibility of moving away from his burial site. creamating him is just unimaginable but would be most likely so i could keep his remains. and having him stuffed is out of the question, after they remove the organs he is no longer Peanut, just his skin and fur. To be perfectly honest with you, I hope he outlives me, he is just over 1 year old and i am 32. Im not sure just how much heartache a cat can feel, but I honestly think if I had to deal with his death, I would end up in the R Wing or being taken away by the men in white coats. Sorry to ramble on, just had to express my opinion.

[Pollyfrance]

I have read that in the UK you cannot take you dearly beloved pet home if it has been put down at a vets place, but if it dies at home you can bury it in your garden or take it to a pet cemetary.

[clair3934]

pets are generally put in to cold storage at a vets until they are collected and taken away some animals are just incinerated some are sent for separate cremation and some go to vet schools to be used to help train new vets and nurses, I can't think of anything nicer than this, to know that my dog could help many other animals by helping to train a new vet :-)

[Eels]

Pollyfrance that's when the law is extremely strictly applied - when the clinical waste legislation was brought in there was an informal agreement to make exceptions in the case of pet owners - of course they can be taken home.

[widowpurple]

yeah, course you can take your pets home and bury them in the garden if you want to...I did with my beloved cat...word of warning tho..its kinda sad if you leave the house you live in but I like to think that I am leaving her someplace she liked to be so its all good in the end...my folks had their cat buried at this pet cemetary and it was all lovely like a proper funeral but then its quite a distance for them to travel now...there are also places that will cremate you pet and return the ashes to you to keep or dispose of how you would like which is easier in the case of larger animals.