As in the case of humans, when animals suffer a health problem for which they need to undergo some surgical intervention, it is important that they have the possibility of resorting to a blood transfusion. This process is also carried out in case the animal suffers from anemia, intoxication with some products such as rodenticides or infectious diseases such as leishmaniasis and parvovirus.
If you have ever wondered if your pet can donate blood, the answer is yes, but only if it is a dog or a cat. As explained by Cristina Fragio, coordinator of the blood bank of the veterinary center of the Complutense University of Madrid, to the web Very Interesting, this is so because only the plasma of these two pets is stored since it is the most common in our country. However, an important fact to note is that dogs can not get blood from cats and vice versa, could be fatal to the animal. We know that you love your pet and that you would do anything for her, but if she needed it, she could not receive your blood either, since human and animal blood are not compatible.
They also make a distinction between the different types of blood groups. They have 8 different ones called erythrocyte antigens, also called DEA, for its acronym in English. Of course, it should be noted that the compatibility of the blood groups of the dogs that participate in this process must always be checked. If your dog is DEA 1, good news, he is a universal donor and therefore compatible with all blood groups. This happens to most greyhounds.
These are some of the necessary requirements for the dog to donate blood:
- Your weight must be greater than 25 kg.
- Must be vaccinated and dewormed.
- You must be between 1 and 8 years old.
- You must be healthy and, of course, not suffer from diseases that are spread through the blood such as leishmaniasis, ilariosis, borreliosis, babesiosis, etc.
- Your vaccinations must be in order.
- Not having a heart murmur.
- It must be correctly identified with a microchip.
To be sure that everything is fine in regards to his health and does not have any hidden disease, he will undergo a couple of veterinary check-ups a year in advance. As for the frequency of donations, you can do it every eight weeks or so. If your dog is a Labrador, you should know that it is one of the best breeds to donate since its calm and docile character will allow the extraction – which lasts between 20 and 30 minutes – to be carried out without having to resort to sedation.
Although the truth is that in our country there are still not many canine donation centers , some canine universities do carry out this type of practice. These are some centers that may be of interest and are distributed between Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
- Maresme Veterinary Hospital.
- Canine Blood Bank of Valencia.
- Madrid Veterinary Transfusion Center.
- Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Madrid of the Complutense University of Madrid.
- Hospital of the Veterinary Faculty of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Also, emphasize that your dog will not suffer any damage and will be helping another companion of the species in need. Authentic dog solidarity!
Felines have three types of blood groups (A, B, AB). As in the case of dogs, a prior compatibility study between donor and recipient will also be necessary. The donation process is simple, it is done by sedation and once it is finished the animal will be rehydrated using a dropper. As for the conditions that the feline must meet, they are the following:
- Weight between 1.5 and 3 kg.
- No history of serious illness.
- Must be vaccinated and dewormed.
- Not having a heart murmur.
- Test negative for feline immunodeficiency virus and leukemia.
From here we encourage you to take the step of turning your pet into a donor. Many animals need to have blood transfusions and, unfortunately, some of them cannot receive it since there is not enough in the banks. Your pet’s blood can save lives!
