5 minute read
written by a person, not a computer
Hi, I'm sorry you have to look this up. Burying your pet at home can be a good choice, it is by far the least expensive option and gives your family a location for remembrance that is universally understood, and private. But there are four conditions to consider to make pet burial at home a practical and safe choice. If you need to determine if you can bury your pet at home, this is the article for you.
If you have decided to bury your dog at home (or cat) then read on. Be aware. We need to peek into the world of the mortician and discuss some topics most people don't want to, but I will answer the common questions that arise.
Is it safe to touch a dead pet?
You already know that after death the body of any animal will begin to decompose, but it’s not instantaneous. If your basement is naturally 50 degrees, you have a bit more time than someone in the summer without AC. Generally though, you have 48 hours before real decomposition will begin, and it comes from the inside. Your pet may have died, but the billions of bacteria on the inside didn’t. Still your pet’s body does not become toxic or even gross, you are perfectly safe cleaning and preparing them. You need not be afraid of touching them, every fluid they produce, you have had on your hands before, many times.
Preparing a loved one to be buried is your final physical act of love towards them. Your ancestors far beyond the few names you know, prepared their family members for burial. These actions can and ought to be done with tenderness and care. Take the time for yourself, or your children to brush your pet. Their collar can be removed, the corners of their eyes wiped, or the old bandana swapped for a new one. People around the world believe in having their family look their best this one last time.
What is the best thing to bury your dog in? (or Cat)
Most buried pets will be wrapped in at least one, up to several layers of natural degradable cloth. Do not put them in a bag, it will interfere with the natural decomposition process and makes them look like trash, which I am positive that they are not.
When your pet passes the muscles that regulate and control the expulsion of fluids cease functioning, expect the bladder and bowels to leak, more at first, then minimally. No matter how much wrapping is used, you will need to wait until this is over, then rinse their hindquarters off with cold water. This usually happens right after death though, so a couple hours should be enough.
It is possible that your pet died curled up sleeping, or crouched with their head resting on their front paws. But that isn’t likely. You may need to adjust the position of their legs to look more peaceful, and so the hole you need to dig isn’t 3x larger than it needs to be. Adjustments are best made without delay, before the post death stiffness known as rigor mortis sets in. After adjusting their legs, a couple layers of cloth will hold them legs in place, and soak up any additional trickle of fluids that seep naturally after death.
I sincerely hope your pet passed peacefully at home, even if with the assistance of a vet. But there are instances of course when a pet dies in a terrible accident. If this was the case, fully wrapping their body may be best for your family to remember them as they were, not as they are.
Partial Wrapping
Most families and pro funeral homes will partially wrap a pet, the head is exposed, and sometimes the front legs as well. When leaving the head exposed, which is the most common, know that the ears, nose, and mouth may seep a bit. At a funeral home they would get ahead of this by applying a few cotton balls or a similar product in the mouth and ears. If you know that will will be a couple of days until burial, you might consider borrowing their technique. If you think your burial will happen efficiently, just a damp towel should be sufficient to dab up any fluid.
Eyes generally don’t leak, but tend to change color and appearance fairly quickly. It is tradition, and looks more peaceful if the eyes are shut. Borrowing a technique from funeral homes, you can put a little vaseline on eye balls to help hold them shut if they don't want to cooperate with you gently closing them. If they stubbornly stay open, you can use a bit of glue where the upper and lower eyelids meet. If their mouth is open, the tongue may hang out. You can push it back in and adjust the corners of their mouth.
How Deep to Bury a Dog? (or Cat)
The appropriate depth for a pet grave is 2-3 feet. This is enough to avoid the 2 common fears; the potential for smell and scavengers. Both can happen, but are rare occurrences usually due to a grave that is far too shallow. Unless you have unusual circumstances, this is deep enough.
If you have 2 feet of packed soil on top of the burial, very little is escaping. If you want to feel a even safer about odors, you can add a layer of kitty litter directly over their body, or mix litter with the first layer of dirt. Depending on who you buried, you may have a bag or 2 left over.
Will a scavenger try and dig up my pet's grave?
Is it technically possible that a pack of coyotes or team of enthusiastic raccoons comes after the grave? Technically yes, but this is unlikely. An animal buried 2-3 feet down is hard to detect, and if they do, they will know that it is already dead and a lot of work to get too. Opportunistic feeders like an easy meal.
Still, if scavengers are common in your area, a layer of rocks underneath, but near the surface will provide a strong deterrent from anything digging there in the future, even if that is someone planting a tree 2 decades later. You can acquire a couple bags of rocks from a big box store, or a dozen larger or pointier rocks from a landscape supply yard. These are usually called rip rap, and you can purchase just a few even if others may be purchasing by the ton. Another option is a few large format tiles, or hunk of leftover countertop. If $15 bucks of rocks buys you the feeling of safety around this grave, then it is money well spent.
The Actual Burial
Fortunately, the actual burial is easier with a pet than a person. Your pet can be gently set in the hole, by an individual, or as a group if the pet was on the larger size. If you wish to make the hole prettier, your have some choices. You can...
line the hole in the same simple cloth your pet is wrapped in
pour in a layer of kitty litter that will be absorbent in addition to adding to the ambiance
add a bed of flowers, leaves, pine boughs either on the bottom, or around the pet.
add an object symbolic of their love, or a letter to the deceased
Participants should each share the role of filling in the hole, even if it is just a little bit of soil. This is part of the symbolism of a burial, accepting that the body has gone, even if love remains.
If your yard was a lush carpet of flawless grass to begin with, I envy your lawn care skill, and you likely put the cut sod back over the top. If it wasn’t though, expect the area around the grave to sprout weeds first, and that you may need to get some location appropriate grass seed and try to regrow in that spot in March-May depending on your geographic location. Unless you are an expert soil packer, the area you dug up will slowly sink over the next year, and may need the application of a bag of topsoil to level it out over time.
As for marking the site, that will be part of the Lasting Remembrance post
Written by Peter of Pawsitive Memorials, I'm sorry for your loss.
Comments