How is the euthanasia different if an animals remains are being donated?
If a client decides to donate their pet’s remains to the veterinary college, heparin is sometimes given intravenously immediately prior to injection of the euthanasia solution. Heparin will prevent blood from clotting and will facilitate subsequent preservation with formalin. Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine gives all client-donated animals 100,000 units of heparin. The drug does not hurt or distress the animal. Other schools do not require heparin to be given prior to euthanasia.
