The death of a treasured animal is something every animal owner fears, but it’s something the majority of us have to deal with ultimately, whether due to terminal health problem, major injury or simply aging. When your pet dog crosses the rainbow bridge, your vet will ask you exactly what you desire to make with his body. Usually, you can pick to bury him in your home or in a animal cemetery, or to have his remains cremated. But exactly what you may unknown is that in some cases a 3rd alternative is readily available. Some pet dog owners, looking to understand the worst day of their lives, pick to donate the body of their precious pet dog to a veterinary curriculum, taking some convenience in that even in death, their canines can assist other animals.
Such programs, which are called academic memorial programs or willed body programs, and are imitated human cadaver contribution programs, are used at numerous veterinary universities in the UnitedStates If you live close to a veterinary university, you may think about asking about the possibility of contributing your pet dog’s body to aid train the veterinary trainees of tomorrow.
Why should you donate your pet dog’s body?
“I think the main reason owners donate their pets to educational memorial programs is that they find comfort in knowing their pet helped train the next generation of animal caregivers, which in turn provides benefits to other pets in the future,” states Lili Duda, MBE, VMD, Bachelor’s Degree, medical teacher of radiation oncology and planner of the Educational Memorial Program at University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine.
Similarto the method contributed cadavers are utilized in human medical school, contributed animals are utilized for academic functions, not for medical research study. “There are many lifelike models that veterinary students use to practice skills before they perform them on live animals, but none have the same educational value as donated cadavers,”Dr Duda states. “Donated cadavers offer increased learning opportunities and a more realistic learning experience.”
How do you donate your late pet dog’s remains?
Depending on the university you live near, each program may differ rather, however usually you should make contribution plans ahead of time, so this is something to think about prior to your animal hands down. Some schools permit you to organize to donate straight to them if your animal is dealt with at their medical facility; others have you deal with your vet to organize a contribution. There likewise may be a limitation on how far you live from the university.
“Each school has its own guidelines and procedures,”Dr. Duda discusses. “When a pet is euthanized at Penn Vet, donation to the EMP is one of several options offered to the pet owner for disposition of the remains. In general, pets must be current on their rabies vaccinations and not thought to have any zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases that can be transmitted to people).”
Do you still get your pet dog’s ashes after he is cremated?
Something else to think about is whether you would like to have your animal’s ashes returned to you after cremation. When you donate the body, this is typically not an alternative. “Remains donated to the EMP are used for instruction only and are cremated once training is complete; however, it is not possible to return the pet’s ashes,”Dr Duda states. “For owners who want this option, individual cremation may be a better choice. For owners who want to know more about their pet’s medical condition, an autopsy [called a necropsy in animals] may be a better choice [than body donation].”
The following schools provide some kind of contribution program:
- OregonState
- Tufts
- WesternUniversity College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona, California
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine,Philadelphia For info, call 215-898-4680
Tell us: What do you believe? Would you donate your pet dog’s body to science?
Thumbnail: Photography © gurinaleksandr|iStock.
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