Pet Blood Bank UK has issued an urgent call for canine blood donors as their supplies run 'critically low'.
The charity noticed a steep drop in blood donation appointments and an 18% drop in new donor registrations which has led to an 800L shortfall ahead of the Christmas season.
To be a suitable donor, dogs need to be between one and eight years old, over 25kg, and well-behaved. The blood-collection procedure just takes 10 minutes, and every donation can be used to save the lives of up to four other dogs. Veterinary practices should encourage suitable dogs to register as donors - perhaps make asking about blood donation part of the standard annual check-up for dogs over 25kg.
In the face of the shortage, vets should select transfusion patients carefully and choose the best blood product - for example, considering whether frozen plasma is as suitable as whole blood will enable whole blood to be saved for those patients that most need it. Vets might want to watch Dr Simon Tappin's free transfusion webinar which compares blood products and their uses.
