BJean Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Losing those we love is really difficult and I'm sorry that some posts in this thread have become narky ... but maybe it was inevitable with the topic. I've learned that I never know what I will ultimately do when it comes time to say goodbye, always the circumstances are so different, and the heartache is so poignant, it is not possible for me to prepare. Last September I lost my dearest brave BJean, I still grieve for her. I am embarrassed to write that when I collected her ashes, BJean went driving with me for a few days. This brought me comfort and I knew she was there and so between me and BJean it was okay. For me, comparing price details of what is an intensely private situation is not meaningful. I dont care what anyone else paid, what you will pay or what you wont pay :) Each person's circumstance is unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Losing those we love is really difficult and I'm sorry that some posts in this thread have become narky ... but maybe it was inevitable with the topic. I've learned that I never know what I will ultimately do when it comes time to say goodbye, always the circumstances are so different, and the heartache is so poignant, it is not possible for me to prepare. Last September I lost my dearest brave BJean, I still grieve for her. I am embarrassed to write that when I collected her ashes, BJean went driving with me for a few days. This brought me comfort and I knew she was there and so between me and BJean it was okay. For me, comparing price details of what is an intensely private situation is not meaningful. I dont care what anyone else paid, what you will pay or what you wont pay :) Each person's circumstance is unique. I dont think anyone should ever be embarrassed by what they do during the grieving process. I cant even actually tell you how much I paid- probably over $100ea for my 5 and 7 week old puppies, and more for the one that was 13weeks. I didnt particularly care at that point. They were all individually cremated no idea on that cost either, but I still avoid the room with their boxes in there A veterinary surgery is a business. If they choose to discount euthanasia/disposal they have to make up the cost for materials, the time spent doing it and any other costs elsewhere- in consult fees, medication mark ups etc. So you may find that some choose to charge the full cost to keep costs low in other areas, others may discount it. It just depends on what they are comfortable doing- their ethics/morals, how many bad debtors they have on their books and a number of other factors. Also a nurse offering individual cremation isn't necessarily 'upselling' they may just be offering all the options to people who honestly dont know that private cremation is possible. If you were not offered an alternative group cremation it may be that this clinic has chosen to not dispose of the dogs to landfill- so there may not have been a cheaper option at the clinic. The average person realistically doesn't research these things before they happen so its usually a very uncomfortable conversation for the owner as well as the vet nurse who is balancing a very fine line- remaining unattached enough to remain sane, but still being empathetic and fulfilling the clients needs. Edited August 8, 2012 by Jumabaar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrinka Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 My dogs are insured , and euthanasia is covered. I haven't received the refund yet, but so far every expence was covered.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackJaq Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I know that our tip will take any animal for a fee, not sure about the exact prices, probably around $15 dollars for small animals (cats/rabbits) maybe $30-ish for dogs and I think around $150 for horses and cows so I can very well see disposal in landfill being used in other areas, too. None of my animals will be disposed of at the tip though sinc eI own my own property of several hundred acres and am free to bury them wherever I like and plant beautiful plants on their graves. I am lucky in that way and also because we are in a position to use firearms to send our animals over the rainbow bridge. Sounds horrible but I ahve found a well placed bullet to be kinder to most animals since they receive it at home, in comfortable, familiar surroundings with their people close by and preferably a mouth full of marrow bone/oats/whatever they like. Last year we had to PTS my TB mare. We used a large caliber rifle and informed ourselves of the kill spot well in advance. We had to walk her a little way over to where her final resting place was going to be and since she'd severed several tendons on her near side back leg walking was a little difficult for her and she was juiced up on all the bute I had left and barely even limped on the way. She went down right away and never even twitched an ear. I did not pull the trigger myself but I held her rope and hay while someone more experienced than I shot her point blank. This was way less traumatizing for me than previous experiences I have had of horses being euthanized via drugs. I did not like the process of seeing the horse struggle not to go down and then fall over still thrashing. I did not like watching the lights go out slowly at all, so honestly I find a bullet less diturbing, not more so. We had a dog go the same way about two years ago and she also died happy and excited with her favorite treats in her mouth. Honestly, letting an animal go this way is very cheap and I feel bad for anyone who, on top of having to cope with the loss, has to fork out for the priviledge. I also feel for anyone who is not in a position to give their pets the burail of their choice. I love planting things in their final resting places and watching something beautiful grow from my loss. I offer the same to all my friends but many of them will not even consider what they will do when the time comes. I would rather not imagine how much euth + disposal would cost me with a horse if I was not in a position to do it myself :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penumbra Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Cremation- you keep the ashes Disposal- you don't Yeah, but there's obviously different kinds of disposal according to others. We had a 24kg dog euthed recently and the fee was $125 for euth only, we buried him at home. The vet waived that fee which I didn't realise until I recieved the bill in the mail. Considering the amount of time we took and the fact we got him back in a lovely calico and gold bag with flowers on it I was quite amazed to see they had discounted the euth price. So you buried his ashes? Sorry, I don't understand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crisovar Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Unless a Vet practice owns an incinerator or a huge parcel of land for burials there are going to be forwarded on costs for them arranging disposal of animals in the vast majority of cases. Local councils charge for landfill burial, so that cost will passed on, if the Vets are lucky enough to be able to access an incinerator then that cost will be passed on as well. This is what businesses do. Individual cremations using this method will obviously be more expensive than group cremations, and private pet cremations by those companies that offer such services will be more expensive again. There are huge costs involved in purchasing and maintaining the incinerators that are used for these things. Local councils do not do these things for free all council services are generally user pays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Cremation- you keep the ashes Disposal- you don't Yeah, but there's obviously different kinds of disposal according to others. We had a 24kg dog euthed recently and the fee was $125 for euth only, we buried him at home. The vet waived that fee which I didn't realise until I recieved the bill in the mail. Considering the amount of time we took and the fact we got him back in a lovely calico and gold bag with flowers on it I was quite amazed to see they had discounted the euth price. So you buried his ashes? Sorry, I don't understand... Sounds like the vet placed the dog's body in a nice bag. I've buried ashes before. Easier to dig a small hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeebie Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 As previously said home burial is difficult due to various factors including in suburban areas of Brisbane the local by laws etc. Water tables, risk of contamination to other animals if they should access etc. With the registered pet crematorium here when my older dog passed away I was asked if I wanted to attend the centre and their chapel and they conducted the whole service as if it was a human service very respectful and dignified, when he came back it was with a lock of hair in a blue bow, his paw print on embossed card with beautiful saying on the card, a certificate which is required by council to notify of dog passing so they can be deregistered (Yes you have to do this!) otherwise you will continue to recieve notice to re register, you also have to inform the various Dog governing bodies if the animal was registered as pedigree etc. I was able to discuss the container I wanted his remains to be placed in and chose a small wooden box which had photo frame on front and this had his photo in it which I had given to them. At the time in 2002 this total cost including transfer to and from was $275. The company who runs this particular service offer payment plans and also hold tours of the facility so you know exactly what happens, I know this may not suit everyone but it helps if you know the full story etc in some cases. The manager use to work in the people industry saw a need for this for the beloved pets so branched out. When my cat was PTS I asked the vet to make the arrangements and there was no charge and I was informed by her and know this to be true that just as in hospital waste and body parts post surgery etc, all deceased animals were transferred to a government run industrial site for disposal via safe and controlled closed incineration. Specific 'infectious waste' yellow biohazard bags are used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Is there an option in the animal world to donate the body to science? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeebie Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Is there an option in the animal world to donate the body to science? Not here in Australia as yet overseas yes, but the QLD University Vet hospital will discuss the option when they have been treating an animal. And just on the topic of University vet hospitals, a huge thanks to the Melbourne University Vet hospital who saved my daughters cat post accident the local vet quoted $3000, the university took her in operated, replaced her hip with a muscle flap graft, kept her for 10days, did all necessary IV fluids etc etc, and cost was $400 and a lot of learning for the students, she was 4 months old and we lost her to a dog attack in June this year aged 8yrs old RIP Trixie Edited August 8, 2012 by zeebie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flick_Mac Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Donatella - we get donated animals for teaching post-mortems mostly. Other times we might use donated animals to practice surgery on before we do the real thing. I don't think they have to be PTS through uni, but usually organised before it happens so collection etc can be organised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penumbra Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 When my cat was PTS I asked the vet to make the arrangements and there was no charge and I was informed by her and know this to be true that just as in hospital waste and body parts post surgery etc, all deceased animals were transferred to a government run industrial site for disposal via safe and controlled closed incineration. Specific 'infectious waste' yellow biohazard bags are used. Are you talking about the Animal Welfare League, zeebie? Because that's who took care of my friend after we ordered a general cremation (at the vet) for her. Great post by the way. And I'm very sorry for your loss. Just keep remembering that you were lucky to have her for the time you did. Because she could have left you when she was four months old. But she didn't... because you saved her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Cremation- you keep the ashes Disposal- you don't Yeah, but there's obviously different kinds of disposal according to others. We had a 24kg dog euthed recently and the fee was $125 for euth only, we buried him at home. The vet waived that fee which I didn't realise until I recieved the bill in the mail. Considering the amount of time we took and the fact we got him back in a lovely calico and gold bag with flowers on it I was quite amazed to see they had discounted the euth price. So you buried his ashes? Sorry, I don't understand... No I buried him at home, we have large acerage so we can bury them at home. To get them cremated we have to send them around 750kms to a crematorium. There may be one around 500kms away but I am not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) I am lucky in that way and also because we are in a position to use firearms to send our animals over the rainbow bridge.<br style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.600000381469727px; background-color: rgb(238, 242, 247); ">Sounds horrible but I ahve found a well placed bullet to be kinder to most animals since they receive it at home, in comfortable, familiar surroundings with their people close by and preferably a mouth full of marrow bone/oats/whatever they like. I agree , and am also fortunate to be in the same position. All ours are buried on a sandy ridge within sight of the house ..... Edited August 8, 2012 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danois Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I honestly don't know what I paid for my 75kg dog to be PTS and cremated 4 years ago - it was irrelevant. It was necessary and I owed him the respect to treat him with dignity after he passed. Leaving them to be taken to a council tip and dumped is a very unpalatable thought. I know my vet nurse had to call me as their usual cremation company could not take him as he was too big for their facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmate Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Only two weeks ago we had out old girl put to sleep. Our vet squashed us in first thing in the morning giving us a priorit appointment as it was very suddena t the end. We were charged $30.00 for the lethabarb no consult fee and the usual cost for pets at peace. This was for a kelpie. Then one week later we got a beautiful handwritten sympathy card from our vet. She really unserstands that what we do with our dogs and how much they are part of us. Really nice simple thing for a vet to do and you could tell it was personalised not just a run of the mill thing to do. Our vet always only charges for the lethabarb and nothing else for everyone no matter who they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penumbra Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) Wow, that's even cheaper than what the AWL charge. They'd charge more if a general cremation was included though, right? Anyway, I am sorry for your loss. It's only been a couple of weeks for me as well. No I buried him at home, we have large acerage so we can bury them at home. I thought that was the case. Otherwise, I'd be like, a free private cremation?? :) What was discounted from the euth price exactly? Edited August 9, 2012 by Penumbra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Wow, that's even cheaper than what the AWL charge. They'd charge more if a general cremation was included though, right? Anyway, I am sorry for your loss. It's only been a couple of weeks for me as well. No I buried him at home, we have large acerage so we can bury them at home. I thought that was the case. Otherwise, I'd be like, a free private cremation?? :) What was discounted from the euth price exactly? Basically they discounted the whole price si it cost me nothing. I have spent a lot of money with them and used to work for them so while I didn't expect it I was pleasently suprised. My dog had been getting treatment for heart disease for 5 years adn apinal arthritis for 3 so we went through lots of medication and had lots of visits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayly Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Donatella - we get donated animals for teaching post-mortems mostly. Other times we might use donated animals to practice surgery on before we do the real thing. I don't think they have to be PTS through uni, but usually organised before it happens so collection etc can be organised. Similar to here in SA too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penumbra Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Wow, that's even cheaper than what the AWL charge. They'd charge more if a general cremation was included though, right? Anyway, I am sorry for your loss. It's only been a couple of weeks for me as well. No I buried him at home, we have large acerage so we can bury them at home. I thought that was the case. Otherwise, I'd be like, a free private cremation?? :) What was discounted from the euth price exactly? Basically they discounted the whole price si it cost me nothing. I have spent a lot of money with them and used to work for them so while I didn't expect it I was pleasently suprised. My dog had been getting treatment for heart disease for 5 years adn apinal arthritis for 3 so we went through lots of medication and had lots of visits. That explains it. ;) I have a good relationship with my vet, but it's only been going for a few years now. So although he does help me save money here and there, it's still nothing like some of the relationships you guys have. Hopefully this will change in time. Actually, now that I think about it, my regular vet probably treats me better than my regular doctor. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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