When a beloved pet passes away, many owners choose to have their animal companion cremated. Cremation is a respectful way to memorialize a pet, but some owners wonder exactly what remains after the cremation process. Understanding what happens during pet cremation can provide comfort and closure.
Cremation transforms a pet’s body into basic chemical compounds like gases and bone fragments. This leaves an ash substance that contains the minerals from the body’s bones. The ashes don’t resemble body tissues due to the extreme heat of 1800-2000°F used in cremation. The high temperature vaporizes all organs, skin, and fur or hair, until only bone pieces and ash are left.
What Happens During Cremation?
Pet cremation uses intense heat to reduce the animal’s remains. Here are the basic steps:
- The pet is placed in a cremation unit or retort, which is a furnace made for cremating animals.
- The temperature is raised to about 1400-1800°F.
- At this heat, the body is quickly reduced to basic elements and compounds.
- The cremation process takes 1-3 hours for a small animal like a dog or cat.
- After cremation, the remaining bone pieces are processed into a powdery consistency.
- The bone ash is then placed in an urn chosen by the pet’s family.
Modern pet crematoriums use natural gas or propane fuel to generate the needed high temperature. The process reduces the pet’s remains to basic compounds with these characteristics:
- Body tissues like skin and organs are vaporized.
- Fat melts and is absorbed into the ashes.
- Muscle, collagen, and proteins break down into chemical compounds.
- Calcium and minerals remain from the bones.
The cremation completely transforms the pet’s structure so that no tissues are identifiable. Only an ash substance and bone fragments remain.
What is Crematory Ash Composed Of?
Pet crematory ash is mostly made up of minerals that composed the animal’s bones. The main components are:
Phosphorus
Phosphorus gives bones their rigid structure. During cremation, phosphorus combines with oxygen to form phosphates in the ash.
Calcium
The mineral calcium makes up the majority of bone matter. When a body is cremated, calcium remains in the ash.
Carbon
Carbon is left from the organic matter of bones. Some carbon also comes from wood ashes of the cremation fire.
Sodium
Sodium is a mineral that helps regulate fluids in bones and tissues. It remains as sodium salts in cremation ash.
Potassium
Like sodium, potassium is another mineral found in all body tissues. Crematory ash contains potassium compounds.
Magnesium
Magnesium occurs naturally in bones. This mineral helps transfer calcium into bones. It converts to magnesium oxides during cremation.
How Much Ash is Produced?
The amount of ash left from a pet cremation will vary based on the animal’s size. Here is the average amount of crematory ash produced per pound of body weight:
| Animal | Ash Weight |
|---|---|
| Small bird | 1 teaspoon per pound |
| Cat | 1-3 tablespoons per pound |
| Dog | 2-4 tablespoons per pound |
| Large dog | 3-5 tablespoons per pound |
For example, cremating a 10 lb cat will produce about 3.5 ounces or 1/2 cup of ashes. A 50 lb dog will produce about 3-4 cups of cremated remains.
Owners are often surprised at how much ash is left. But it makes sense when considering that minerals compose the majority of bone matter. The volume of bone translates into a similar volume of ash.
What is Done with the Ashes?
Pet owners have various options for preserving or scattering their companion’s ashes. Some choices are:
- Burial of the ashes in a pet cemetery.
- Scatter in a favorite place like a backyard or park.
- Keeping the ashes in an urn or other container.
- Immersion scattering into a body of water.
- Incorporation into objects like jewelry or glasswork keepsakes.
The ashes typically stay together well for scattering. To scatter easily, remains can be crushed to a fine powder consistency. Owners can portion out ashes and choose multiple final resting places if desired.
Is Cremation Ash Toxic?
Pet owners sometimes worry if ashes could be harmful if scattered in a yard or garden. However, cremation ash poses no toxic risk for kids or pets.
The ash is non-toxic since it contains only natural bone minerals like calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium. These minerals are found in common nutritional supplements.
Ingesting small amounts of ash should not cause health problems. The main concern is avoiding respiratory irritation from inhaling ash particles. Simple precautions like scattering downwind can avoid exposure from airborne ash.
What Other Remains are Left After Cremation?
Cremation reduces most of the pet’s body to ashes. But a few non-bone materials may be recovered:
Teeth
Pet teeth often survive cremation since they contain dense minerals. Recovered teeth may be returned to the owner or recycled from the ashes.
Surgical plates/screws
Metal implants like orthopedic devices may withstand the heat. These are removed before processing the ash.
Pacemakers
Pacemakers or identification microchips are removed prior to cremation. These devices could explode at high temperatures.
Private vs Group Cremation
Pet cremation is done by either private or group process:
Private cremation
This method cremates one pet individually. The ashes are returned only to the pet’s owner. Private cremation costs more but avoids group processing.
Group cremation
Pets are cremated together with others in a shared retort. The co-mingled ash can’t be separated by individual pets. Group cremation is more affordable but doesn’t allow the pet’s specific ashes to be saved.
Most owners prefer private cremation when presented with these options. Private processing provides more certainty and comfort about preserving only that pet’s remains.
Conclusion
Pet cremation retains only the minerals and bone fragments of the animal’s remains. While the ash looks quite different from body tissues, it represents the same physical components in a reduced form. Knowing what comprises cremation ashes can make the process more clear for owners grieving a pet’s loss.