Written By: Chassidy Alexander, LVT, VTS (SAIM); Veterinary Technician Supervisor – Internal Medicine/Radiology at BluePearl Spring
Have you ever had a pet that needed a blood transfusion? Did you know that pets have different blood types and need blood products for transfusions just like people do? What does it take for a pet to become a donor? Keep reading to find out whether your pet could be a blood donation superhero!
Pets can become blood donors through a health screening similar to people. If they meet the criteria, they can potentially donate! We can obtain a number of products from a single donation. There’s whole blood, which contains ALL components of blood (whole); packed red blood cells (pRBC’s) – only the red blood cell portion; plasma – liquid component of blood; and platelets. We can use these products in different ways, but one donation saves up to 3 lives! Amazing, right?!
Honestly, this wasn’t something that I really thought about when I signed my girl up to be a blood donor. Stella, at the time, was a 1-year-old Rottweiler; happy, healthy, and super sweet! For donor standards, she was the ideal candidate! Deep down, of course, I knew that the whole point of this was to save lives, right? This would soon become especially important to me, personally.
Fast forward one year, I ended up adopting another Rottweiler (I needed a matching set!). However, in true veterinary technician fashion… this little guy was very sick. He was suffering from parvovirus, a common viral disease in puppies, and hookworm anemia, which is caused by a parasite. Parvovirus alone can be deadly, but along with his anemia, we had to act quickly. Among other treatments, this pup needed an emergency blood transfusion.
It was Stella’s time to shine! She was next on the donor list; I brought her in for collection, and she donated whole blood. A typical donation usually includes light sedation, belly rubs, and snacks. What she didn’t know was that she would be saving her new brother. We watched as the staff worked their magic with Stella’s “Superhero” blood. What had been an extremely sick puppy became a fully recovered Sherlock (that’s what we named him) who was able to come home about a week later. Stella and Sherlock have been inseparable for 8 years now! The sassy older sister with her annoying, lively “baby” brother. Sherlock is still “too smart” for his own good. Though he is technically an old man now, he still acts like a puppy. I credit his sister’s “Superhero” donation. It’s not every day that a pet is able to donate to a housemate! Stella continued in the program, saving many other lives and even earning “Gallon Club” status when she retired from Blood Bank at age 8. Stella is everyone’s favorite big sister, hero, and best friend.
Many people don’t know that there is a shortage of canine and feline blood products in the United States. Try as we might, there is not enough supply to sustain current demands. What can we do to help? We need more donors. Can you get involved? Yes! BluePearl Pet Blood Bank is currently screening potential donors, and January is NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH! Pets must be between 1 and 8 years of age, up to date on vaccines, and current on heartworm and flea prevention. Dogs must be at least 50 lbs., and cats must be at least 10 lbs. If you are interested in learning more about this amazing, lifesaving program, scan the QR Code for more information, give us a call at 832-616-5000, or go to https://bluepearlvet.com/blood-bank/
