Canine and Feline Blood Donations

Imagine your beloved dog or cat in need of emergency medical care. Will your emergency vet have the necessary blood products? Chances are the answer is yes. But, where does it come from? Blood banks, of course, which are specific to non-human blood products. Never heard of such a thing? Don't feel bad. Neither had I until I ran across a donor at a local dog park. I had to investigate and learn more about this. I regularly donate blood; it only makes sense that emergency veterinarians would also require a source of blood products.

Most blood banks receive their blood from in-house donors, which seems to be a misnomer as one would think donating blood to be a voluntary action. Granted dogs and cats hardly raise a paw to have a needle stuck in them, but an in-house donor's sole purpose in life is to donate blood. HemoSolutions of Colorado Springs is a new breed of blood bank, receiving all their blood from community volunteers, dog and cat alike. I spoke to Becky Nusbaum, CVT, VTS (ECC), Director of HemoSolutions, about blood donations.

Just about any dog or cat can donate. Are there risks involved? No more than with humans. Ms. Nusbaum says that after four years and 300 dogs, she has never seen anything more severe than bruising from the needle (I have that issue all the time) and razor-burn from the clippers.

A qualified donor is:

1. Healthy. Initial blood tests are conducted free of charge with a courtesy copy of the results sent to the donor's regular veterinary.

2. Between one and eight years old.

3. At least 50 pounds (10 pounds for felines).

4. Not pregnant nor has she ever been pregnant (felines may have been pregnant before).

5. Current on all vaccinations.

6. Receiving heartworm preventive medication April through October (canine only).

7. Willing to donate a minimum of six times per 12-month period.

Josie's first donation.

Credit: Stephanie Dears

Copyright: Stephanie Dears