Tissue Donation FAQs
Questions about
tissue donation
Q: When can I donate?
Donation can only take place at the time of decease. Your vet will check the vaccination and medical history to determine the eligibility to become a tissue donor. You will then be asked to sign a Consent form by your vet to agreeing to donate tissues from your pet. Your vet will contact VTB and your pet will need to be left at the clinic for VTB to collect to their premise in Wrexham, North Wales.
Q: Can I change my mind after registration?
Yes. At any time after registration you can contact us and we will remove your pet from our donor register. At the time of your pets passing, you will be asked to sign a consent form, at this time you can also withdraw consent for donation.
Q: What happens at the clinic?
At the clinic, after your pet has passed away and you have signed the consent form, the clinic will contact us. You will then leave your pet with the vet practice, and they will place them in cold storage. We will send out DEFRA licenced courier to collect your pet from the clinic and transport them to us here in North Wales.
Q: What is ethically sound R&D projects and education support?
We have both in-house and external research and development projects as well as education events for veterinary professionals using animal tissues. These projects are carefully chosen to advance veterinary medicine which will lead to new treatments and tissue products, ultimately benefiting our patients dogs and cats.
Q: Why should my dog wear dog tag?
May vets are reluctant to raise the subject of tissue donation when the owner is in distress as a result of the loss of the pet. In addition, many practices miss to pick up the registration status and many potential donations are lost. Keeping the dog tag attached to the collar or the harness of the dog will flag up to the vet that you wish to donate tissues.
Q: Do I need to register my pet before the time comes for donation?
No, your pet does not have to be registered as a tissue donor before their passing for donation to take place. If your pet is not registered as a donor, you can talk to your vet about donation at the time of your pets passing, or you can get in contact with us and we will liaise with your vet practice. However, discussing about tissue donation when the owner is in distress is a difficult subject and many vets are reluctant to raise the subject. Registering your pet in advance helps to facilities the donation process.
Q: When do I need to tell my vet about my decision?
We will get in contact with your vet practice to inform them of your decision, and provide them with information about the donation process, exclusion criteria for donors, etc.
Q: What happens after donation?
After we have removed the tissues needed, your pet will be sent for cremation. At the time of donation, you will be able to choose whether you’d like an individual cremation, with the ashes returned to you in a wooden casket, or a joint cremation, with no ashes returned. There is no cost to you whichever option you choose and if you have chosen to have the ashes returned to you we will send the ashes to your address or to the practice. However, we are unable to return bodies that have not been cremated.
Q: What will make my pet not suitable for donation?
Our exclusion criteria is laid out in our tissue donation guidelines. The following will prevent your pet from being able to donate:
- Absence of vaccination history
- Not vaccinated within the last 3 years
- Presence or previous history of malignant disease
- Systemic infection which is not controlled at the time of donation
- History of chronic systemic autoimmune disease
- Recent (within 28 days) history of vaccination with a live, attenuated virus where a risk of transmission is considered to exist