Hedgehogs, gliders, axolotls and more: cremation in Ghent
Keepers of unusual pets in Ghent often hear 'we don't do those' first. Here's how to find a yes, what it should cost and what will realistically come home.
- Local Ghent costs before you commit
- Invasive-species-safe handling
- Options emailed to you, no pressure
Ghent, Flanders
Exotic pet aftercare in Ghent: the local picture
Ghent's climate is mild, grey and damp off the North Sea, with few hard frosts and summers that can bring muggy spells, especially during the crowded Gentse Feesten week in July. Because the city rarely gets properly cold, don't count on winter to buy much time. Put your pet on a folded blanket in the coolest room, keep wrapped cold packs close to the body, and arrange collection or a vet visit within the day.
Many Flemish row houses in Ghent have a long, narrow city garden at the back, and some families bury a small pet there where rules allow, while many more choose cremation and an urn indoors. Belgian vets commonly arrange cremation on your behalf. Ask them plainly whether it will be individual, so the ashes are your pet's alone, what the total cost is, and when you can collect the urn.
If your exotic pet was put to sleep at a clinic in Ghent, remember that the euthanasia drug stays in the body. A fox, raccoon or neighbor's dog that digs up a small grave can be poisoned by it, which is one reason vets in mid-sized places often steer families toward cremation. If you still prefer burial at home, protect the spot with a paving slab or a heavy planter, and keep it well away from any vegetable bed.
With roughly 262,000 residents, Ghent is the 2nd-largest of the 2 Flanders communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Antwerp, about 32 miles (51 km) away, which is where some providers serving Ghent are based.
For a second opinion on price, Brussels (31 miles, a larger centre) and Antwerp (32 miles) are close enough that their providers cover Ghent routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
67.98%[1]
In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria).
9-12 years[2]
Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g.
4-6 years[3]
African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g.
3-5% of body weight[4]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
Where these figures come from: Embrace Pet Insurance and Merck Veterinary Manual.
Why local cremation habits matter for your exotic pet
Cremation is now the majority choice for people in Belgium, at about 67.98%[1], but burial still has deep roots. Both are open to exotic keepers too. For a hedgehog or glider, burial in the garden can be simple where rules allow; for amphibians and aquatic pets, cremation avoids any risk of disease reaching wild animals through water.
Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023) is where the Belgium figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Ghent tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Planning around the Ghent weather when an exotic pet dies
If you don't know how warm or cold your animal room gets, a cheap min-max thermometer tells you more than any forecast. After a loss, write down the reading. It helps your vet judge whether heat or cold played a part, and it protects the animals still in your care in Ghent.
Prices for small and large exotics in Ghent
European crematoria vary widely in how they handle tiny animals. Some have small-animal trays and return a few grams of ash; others recommend collective cremation for anything under a few hundred grams. Neither is wrong. Ask Ghent providers what they'd advise for your species, and get the price in writing.
We keep the detailed Flanders price table on one page so it stays current: see Flanders prices.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Before you bury or cremate: Flanders rules worth knowing
A few exotic pets carry health rules as well as wildlife ones. If a skunk or other mammal bit someone shortly before it died, health officials can require rabies testing, and that has to happen before cremation. There's no licensed rabies vaccine for pet skunks, so this comes up more than keepers expect. Otherwise, the rules that matter most in Flanders are about burial and scattering.
The first day, step by step
- Tell your child simply and honestly that their pet has died. Avoid 'went to sleep', which can make bedtime frightening.
- Offer a chance to say goodbye, should they want it. Wrapped in something soft, a small animal looks calm and at rest.
- Seal and chill the body afterwards, labelled with the name your child used.
- Let them help choose whether it's cremation or a safe place to bury, and let them pick out a keepsake or a little container.
- Ask the provider whether a drawing or short letter can go with their pet. Many allow a small paper item.
- Explain how long it will take for the remains to come home, and mark the day on a calendar.
- Keep routines steady and let them talk about their pet whenever they want.
Memorials that suit an unusual companion
Ghent is a compact city of canals, narrow streets and tall townhouses, and since the 2017 circulation plan, cars can no longer drive straight through the center, so many residents get around by bicycle and tram. If your pet dies at home, getting your animal to a vet may need planning, especially from an upstairs flat in the old town. Mention your street, the stairs and whether you have a car when you ask for options.
look through our guides and the blog, run the numbers with the free planning tools, or see how other readers answered in our polls, Every option Ghent families choose between is on the services page. If you live between Ghent and Antwerp, either page applies. Every other community in Flanders, and all of Belgium, is listed too.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
Has a pet crematory ever hesitated over, or turned down, your species?
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How far is your nearest vet who treats your species?
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If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
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Free tools to help you plan
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
Ashes weight estimator
See roughly how much ash to expect back, by species and body weight.
Aftercare options compared
Compare private, communal and water cremation with burial on cost, timing and what comes home.
Questions people ask
Which nearby towns can I compare with Ghent?
The closest communities we cover are Brussels (about 31 miles) and Antwerp (about 32 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Ghent too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Is cremation common in Belgium?
For people, yes: about 67.98%[1] of Belgium deaths end in cremation, according to Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Ghent follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Will I have to travel to Antwerp to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Antwerp (roughly 32 miles from Ghent) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
My pet died after being bought recently. Should I contact the breeder?
It's worth it. Reputable breeders of gliders, hedgehogs and axolotls often want to know about early deaths, may offer advice on a necropsy and sometimes have health guarantees that require one. Keep the body refrigerated, not frozen, until you've spoken to them and your vet.
Should I put my exotic pet in the fridge or the freezer?
It depends on what you want next. For a necropsy (an animal post-mortem), refrigerate and get to the vet within a day or two, because freezing damages tissue. For freeze-drying or taxidermy, freeze promptly. For cremation only, either works; the freezer gives you more time to find the right provider in Ghent.
Is it safe to bury an axolotl or amphibian in my garden in Ghent?
It can be, where local rules allow, but bury well away from ponds, streams, ditches and drains. Amphibian diseases such as chytrid fungus spread through water and can harm wild frogs and salamanders. Never flush an amphibian or pour its tank water outside. Cremation removes the risk entirely, even if little ash comes back.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In 2023, 67.98% of deaths in Belgium were cremated (21 crematoria). Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023, 2023.
- [2] Pet sugar gliders live about 9-12 years; adults weigh about 85-170 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Table: Sugar Gliders at a Glance.
- [3] African pygmy hedgehogs live an average of 4-6 years; adult males weigh 400-600 g and females 300-400 g. Merck Veterinary Manual - Overview of Hedgehogs.
- [4] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [5] Private cremation cost per pound falls with size in the US: roughly $9.2/lb for a 15 lb pet, $4.2/lb at 60 lb and about $4.0/lb at 100 lb. Our estimate: band midpoint price / representative weight: 0-30 lb (midpoint $137.50 / 15 lb) = $9.17/lb; 51-70 lb ($250 / 60 lb) = $4.17/lb; over 90 lb ($400 / ~100 lb) = $4.00/lb. How we calculate.
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