When Is Whole Blood needed?

The leading use for fresh whole blood is when there is a massive hemmorhage.  Perhaps the dog is struck by a car, has taken a nasty fall, or had an aneurism burst.  This sort of event is generally unexpected and the sort of emergency this site is set up for.

Fresh whole blood is also used for therapies to treat anemia, anticoagulant toxicity, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIB), Hemophilia (type A or B), Hypoproteinemia, Thrombocytopenia, and Von Willebrand disease.  In general, these non-emergency therapies can be scheduled to allow careful cross-typing to establish a pool of suitable long-term donors.

What About Dog Blood Banks?

While they are among the safest sources of blood there are only about 25 canine blood banks in the United States.  To make matters more complicated whole blood is very fragile and difficult to store for very long.  In an emergency there rarely is time to ship whole blood.  Another factor is cost.

Should My Dog Be A Donor?

Yes, if your dog is:

• Under seven years old.
• Over 45 pounds.
• In good health with all current vaccinations.
• Comfortable being handled.

No anesthesia is required and donation takes around a half hour.