Good thing you didn't open it. Anerobic activity accounts for most of post-mortem decomposition; think of the Pharoahs. They were sealed up pretty airtight. Yet soft tissue and adipose tissue decomposed anway. It's better not to see loved ones, including pets, that way. Plus, the possibility of breathing in harmful bacteria from an opened coffin is too risky. You'd have to wear a surgical mask and gloves.right on Ames..I only mention 'seeing' her again because I happened to think about our cat who died back in '03...he was 16 yrs old,so he was pretty much like a 'teenager' to us by then,a real part of the family.I put him in an airtight pet casket (you can get those now) and buried him.When we moved,my husb. dug it up to take with us.I just couldn't leave him behind.
I was thinking that I sure would welcome the chance to see him again,but even though it's airtight,I don't know how much anerobic (non-oxygen using) bacteria can cause an animal to degrade.So we just buried the casket again.
You'll see him again anyway....