Newsflash...
Emergencies outside surgery hours 24/7
Please Call:
01435 864422
Blood Transfusions - Could your dog help save a life?
Heathfield Vets Canine Blood Donors
Just like humans dogs sometimes require blood transfusions in often what is a life saving emergency procedure. With advances in veterinary medicine, it is possible for vets to offer higher and higher standards of care for their patients. In human medicine, supplies of blood and blood products are available through national blood bank services.
Vets however must rely on their own resources and here at Heathfield Vets we depend on the generosity of our donor dogs and their owners to donate blood. By becoming an animal blood donor, your dog can help Heathfield Vets save other pets through the provision of life-saving blood transfusions.
Above: Jess our student nurse with Darcey donating blood.
Could your dog be a lifesaving donor?
There are some criteria your dog must meet:
donors should have a good temperament,
be aged between one and eight years old,
weigh more than 25 kilos
should not have travelled abroad
should be up-to-date on all vaccinations
should be fit and healthy
should not have had a blood transfusion themselves
Dogs like humans, have blood groups and can be blood typed. Ideally, donor and recipient should be type matched. As well as typing donor and recipient, cross-matches can be performed to confirm compatibility, and are recommended where the recipient has had a previous transfusion. This test involves mixing donor and recipient serum and red blood cells and looking for a reaction outside of the body that indicates an increased risk of a reaction inside the body if the transfusion is given. As part of the donation process your dogs blood will be typed.
At Heathfield Vets your dog may be required to donate their blood at anytime of the day or night. We are proud to be a 24hour practice and deal with emergencies 365 days a year using our own team of vets and nurses. So if you do wish to sign your dog up to be a donor please bear this in mind.
Below are some frequently asked questions:
What is an ideal blood donor?
An ideal blood donor is a friendly, healthy, clinically normal animal who is not pregnant or has not produced a litter if an unspeyed bitch. Donors should be vaccinated (although not within 10-14 days before donation) and free of infections and parasites, especially blood borne disease.
What happens during the procedure & how long does it take?
For dogs, the blood donation process takes about 10-15 minutes, but you should plan on spending up to 40-50 minutes at the surgery.
This is what happens during the process:
Dogs will receive a physical examination and health history will be taken if not already on our system.
A small area of hair either on your dogs neck or leg is carefully clipped and cleaned.
About a 450ml of blood is drawn (depending on your dogs weight).
Once the donation has been made your dog will be brought some yummy refreshments, and then they are ready to go home. Once at home, they may want to take it easy, but many will get on with their normal routine.
How much blood is taken?
A standard blood donation in the dog is 450ml (‘one canine unit’) and this can safely be obtained from a 25kg dog.
How often can my pet give blood?
Repeated blood donations over a relatively short period of time can lead to anaemia, and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Three or four donations per year would be fine.
Will my pet be unwell after a donation?
Donor animals will be checked by a veterinary surgeon that they are fit and healthy enough before making a blood donation, in which case the risks of donation are very small.
Will I be paid for my pet being a donor?
Traditionally, donations are made without payment although as a gesture of goodwill your dog will receive its next annual vaccination for free. As well as having his or her blood typed and checked so if they ever need a transfusion this information is already known to us.
How might a transfusion be used?
Blood transfusions have many uses and can be critical, life-saving procedures. Blood loss through injury e.g. road traffic accidents or other causes of bleeding, such as rodenticide poisoning can lead to death or make any anaesthesia to treat underlying damage very risky. In these circumstances, fresh blood can make all the difference! Sometimes, an animal’s immune system can attack its own red blood cells (immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia), and blood transfusions are necessary to prevent fatal anaemia whilst medical treatment is working.
If you are interested in you dog becoming one of our blood donors please call the surgery on 01435 864422 or pop in and ask to speak to our head nurse Laura Walker.
