Since January is officially National Blood Donor Month, according to the American Red Cross, there’s no better time to consider saving a life—not just for people, but for our animal friends, too.
Like humans, pets can experience both chronic medical conditions and emergencies that require blood transfusions. Cancer, anemia, autoimmune disorders like hemolytic anemia or trauma from car accidents can all create life-threatening situations for dogs and cats. Imagine if your beloved furry friend needed an emergency blood transfusion. Where would you turn?
Fortunately, there are good Samaritans who are willing to bring their pets to donation centers. Just as humans donate blood, so too can dogs and cats! Donations from healthy pets can save lives, but unfortunately, there is a nationwide shortage of pet blood, according to BluePearl Pet Hospital’s website.
Due to the high costs of obtaining and safely storing animal blood products, demand often exceeds supply in veterinary centers. It’s estimated that demand will only continue to grow as veterinary care advances and pets live longer, healthier lives. Supply is particularly short during the winter months, when blood drives compete with inclement weather and seasonal illnesses.
Here in Bend, the Veterinary Referral Center of Central Oregon, which offers 24/7 emergency care, has created its own blood bank. This helps local pets get the immediate care they need and improves the quality of life for those with chronic conditions. Ordering blood from outside the area can take up to four weeks, so having blood on hand is essential for caring for our community’s pets.
Few people know about pet blood donation, so raising awareness is crucial. VRCCO needs the community’s help to ensure an adequate supply of blood products is available.
According to Dr. Matt Vaughan at the VRCCO, a common issue in Central Oregon is dogs getting into rat bait. Rodenticides contain anticoagulants that keep blood from naturally clotting, so when dogs accidentally ingest the bait, they can’t stop bleeding. Timely plasma transfusions can halt the bleeding and give doctors time to administer an antidote. A typical Labrador, for example, might require a double unit or pint of blood for such a procedure. As rats seek shelter in warm garages and sheds during winter, and therefore the odds of dogs accidentally ingesting rat bait increases, now is an especially important time to consider pet blood donation.
How can your furry family member become a hero?
First, all pets must meet a few basic criteria. Both dogs and cats must be between one and eight years old. Dogs must weigh over 50 pounds, and cats over 9 pounds. Dogs can be blood type DEA 1.1 positive or negative and cats must be indoor pets.
Next, potential pet candidates go through a careful screening process to ensure they are a suitable donor. This includes a general health exam and a series of blood tests to screen for infectious diseases. Only healthy pets who test negative for transmissible conditions receive the green light to give blood.
All exams and tests are completely free, so pet parents receive no-cost veterinary care in exchange for their pet’s donation. The VRCCO program needs about a dozen regular donors who can commit to four donations a year for two years. Once approved, pets can donate every eight-12 weeks and can be kept in the program until they reach eight years of age. Many donations are banked for future use, while other pets may be on-call for emergency donations in the event of a shortage.
Even VRCCO staff members bring in their own pets when donations are needed. In fact, before the blood donation program was launched, the very first donation came from Dr. Vaughan’s own dog. After hospital staff gave a dog patient five transfusions, they ran out of blood Luckily, the next transfusion from Dr. Vaughn’s dog bought enough time for a certain medication to save the other dog’s life. For years afterwards, the two families remained closely connected over this special shared experience.
So why not consider making your pet a donor today? After completing the screening, the blood donation process itself only takes about 10 minutes; there are some drop off and recovery times to consider, but it’s not a long process. Dogs and cats may be lightly sedated to keep them comfortable. When they wake up, they are given lots of cuddles, tasty treats and praise. VRCCO staff also provide annual follow up lab work, free blood products should they ever need them and a special thank-you gift card from a local business for each donation.
Most importantly, every pet will leave the hospital a certified hero for helping to save a life!
For more information or to schedule an appointment with VRCCO, call 541-209-6960 or email info@vrcvet.com
This article appears in BendNest Winter 2024.
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