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Could your Dog be a life saver

Every unit of blood helps save up to four lives 

Like people, sometimes our pets require blood transfusions to help them recover from an illness. This can be due to a bleed from an injury, post-surgery, a toxicity or because the body breaks down their own blood. These situations can often be life or death, and this is where the pet blood bank comes in.  

The pet blood bank is a charity that was set up to support vets by providing a blood service for pets, just like the one we have as humans. They run donation sessions across the country where owners bring dogs to give blood which is then processed and separated into different products. It is then stored and sent out to vets across the UK when they need it and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure blood is always available. 

I recently decided to offer my services as a vet to the pet blood bank to help with donation sessions and support the amazing work they do. I do this alongside working at our Shepton and Wells branches and travel to different donation venues every few weeks.  

A dog can donate blood once every 8 weeks and so the sessions run accordingly. Dogs that donate blood must be fit and healthy, between one and eight years old, weigh more than 25kg and be confident and happy being handled. They must have never travelled outside of the UK and Ireland; they must be vaccinated or have an annual titre test after the first-year booster, and they must not be on any medication. There isn’t yet a blood bank for cats, but this is something that the pet blood bank is working on for the future. 

I predominantly work in pre-screen which is where the dogs first go on arrival. I first check that there were no issues since the last donation, if they are a repeat donor, and make sure the owner has no health concerns. We then clip the hair on the neck where the donation will be made and apply a numbing cream, and a blood sample is taken to check the red blood cell count and amount of protein in the blood. New donors have a full blood screen when they first donate as well as blood typing and a full screen is repeated once a year for repeat donors. We then proceed with a full clinical examination to ensure that the dogs are healthy and suitable for donation. Once I am happy that the dogs are fit for donation, I will then send them through to the donation room. 

Dogs have different blood types, like us. A dog will either be DEA1 positive or DEA 1 negative. The pet blood bank particularly need dogs with negative blood type as this blood type can be given to all dogs in an emergency and is known as the ‘universal blood type’.  

Once in the donation room the dog will be lifted onto the table and held lying on their side by a nurse and a donor assistant. The neck is cleaned with disinfectant and then the needle is placed to collect the blood sample. Dogs that donate for the pet blood bank are never sedated so it is important that they have a relaxed and friendly temperament. The donation time is limited to 10 minutes and the dog is monitored closely throughout the donation process as well as after. Once complete they have a pressure bandage placed around the neck and are given lots of treats and fuss to reward them.  

Our donors then go out to reception where they get their photo taken to commemorate how brilliant they are and given a bag of treats and a toy to say thank you. The blood they donated is then sent to the processing unit in Loughborough where it is processed into different blood products to be used by vets like us! Every unit of blood collected can save up to four lives and can be made into whole blood, plasma or platelet products.  

When a pet needs these blood products, vet practices like ours can contact the pet blood bank and get it delivered to the patient that needs it as soon as possible.  

If you have a dog that you think could be a suitable donor, have any questions about the pet blood bank, or would like to know how to get involved please don’t hesitate to contact us! Even if you don’t feel your dog fits the criteria there are still lots of ways to support them and help the cause.   

 

Pet Blood Bank exists to help save the lives of pets in need. Pet Blood Bank was set up to support vets by providing a blood service for pets, just like the one we have as humans.
If you are interested, register here and a member of the team will get in touch to talk further about your dog and check their suitability to become a donor.
https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/pet-owners/dog-blood-donation/find-your-nearest-donation-session/wells-somerset-wells-vets/
Join Wells Vets and the entire Shepton Vets group in supporting Pet Blood Bank