How Blood Donation Among Dogs Is Possible

Blood transfusion is not only possible among humans but it can also be done for our pets. Veterinarians claim that a number of transfusions are done yearly among dogs and cats.

WHNT19 noted that this practice has been done for a long time to save lives of many animals. "An emergency clinic probably does more transfusions than we do here, we probably do a handful of transfusions a year," said Dr. Staci Armstrong of the Whitesburg Animal Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama.

She explained that the dogs can only donate blood to other dogs and the same applies to cats. "Cats have three blood types and dogs have a lot of different blood groups, there are at least 13 different blood types," Armstrong claimed.

For pets to be able to donate blood, they should be 2-7 years old and should qualify for the weight requirement. Armstrong said they also check if animals have blood-related diseases prior to transfusion. Pets should not be on any medication prior to transfusion and that their hearts should be healthy.

According to Pet Finder, animals also have universal blood type like the "O negative" in humans. This blood type can reportedly be used on any animal since it does not result in any adverse effects.

In addition, Humane Society said that dogs can cats can be heroes to other animals with blood transfusion. "I learned that just like people, when pets need surgery due to illness or injury, they often need transfusions of blood. Without donors there would be no blood available, and those pets might die," said Humane Society director of sheltering and pet care issues Inga Fricke.

Fricke noted that not only one life is saved with a simple blood procedure. "I remembered reading about a local kennel fire a few years back. More than a dozen dogs were nearly killed, and each of those dogs required multiple units of blood. Without it they would have died," she added.