What are the donated cadavers used for?
Client donated cadavers can be used in veterinary courses that do not require live animals for instructional purposes. Perhaps the most obvious use of these cadavers is for anatomy laboratories. Donated cadavers used for anatomy instruction are embalmed and may be latexed, if preferred. Donated cadavers may also be used to develop veterinary student skills in pathology labs, surgery/psychomotor and orthopedic labs, ophthalmology, and dentistry. Cadavers used for these purposes are usually fresh or frozen and not embalmed. Where a donated cadaver is placed in the teaching program depends largely on its condition. Traumatically injured animals or animals that died or were euthanized during surgery would not be appropriate for the anatomy department’s use, but could potentially be used to teach various surgical procedures.
