Canine Blood Donors-Would you do it?

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Well I don't ever have to answer that question because Tara is too little. It appears there is a 55 or 60 pound minimum weight. What do you think about having your Doodle donate blood either by being on call for emergencies or donating to a canine blood bank?

Is there any one here who is already donating?

It was almost closing time at our clinic when a woman ran into our waiting room screaming that she had just found a dog lying in the street who had been hit by a car. The veterinary technicians rushed the dog into the clinic on a stretcher. "Lucky" was alive, but he was in shock and unable to move. We immediately began treatment to stabilize him, provide pain relief and treat his wounds.

Despite administering large volumes of fluids and drugs to treat the shock, Lucky's gums remained pale and his abdomen tender. An ultrasound revealed fluid in his abdomen; a stomach tap told us this fluid was blood. Lucky's spleen had ruptured and we had to remove it immediately or he would die. He would also die if we didn't have enough blood available to transfuse him during and after the surgery - and we didn't. We had exactly one unit of blood, and the nearest emergency hospital that could supply us with the blood we needed was three hours away. Thankfully, one of our technicians, Dawn, is the parent of a young, healthy Great Dane named Nathaniel who she volunteered as a blood donor. Dawn ran home to get Nathaniel while we prepped Lucky for emergency surgery.

Requirements:

• Healthy and Happy
•  Greater than 60 lbs
•  Between 1-6 yrs old
•  Able to lay still for 10 minutes

There are a few other requirements regarding vaccinations and such too.

Oh, and Lucky survived thanks to Nathaniel's donation! :)

[Pat and Traveler]

Curious minds want to know--what did your DNA test reveal?  LOL

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Pat, it was pretty interesting and I found out later that the tests are not very accurate when the dog has numerous generations of mixing as do the ALD's. So for what it is worth, Tara's test showed she is:

At least 25% Miniature Poodle

At least 25% Cocker Spaniel

At least 25% Puli

What I want to know was where is the "L" in my ALD???

If you are REALLY curious, here is the link to the discussion in the ALD group:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/genetic-testing?groupUrl=a...

[Pat and Traveler]

Thanks, Ricki--I've read part of that discussion now and will read the rest.  Very interesting indeed!  We did one of these tests on my daughter's big dog--and just had to laugh when one of his breeds came back as Yorkie.  I think it's a fun thing to do, but really inaccurate.  TaraBear the Puli??!!  The lab you were wondering about in Tara showed up in Grendel.  LOL 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Daisy is a total wreck at the Vet's office, I don't think they would even want to take her blood for that reason. However if she were relaxed and not nervous I would certainly do that if there were no effects on Daisy.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I like the idea of it too. Other than the emotional effects on a dog I think the physical effects are similar to those that occur with humans who donate blood. You can ask F about that! LOL

[F, Calla & Luca]

In humans, healthy donors soon make up for the blood loss. I would think limiting exercise for a couple of days, and giving  plenty of fluids should be most of aftercare.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Here is the link to the University of Pennsylvania Vet Med site that discusses the procedure and their requirements.

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/RyanHospital/SpecialtyCareServices/BloodBa...

[Donna K & Quincy]

A pint of blood seems like a lot to take from a dog that is only half the weight of a human that would donate the same amount. I was a regular blood donor until they turned me down for medical reasons and I do believe strongly in blood donations. Quincy would probably be a good candidate for a donor, he is the right age, weight and temperament. He likes going to the vet, I think mostly because of the two cats and the cookie jar that is there. Last year he had a cyst incised and cleaned out with nothing more than me at his head and a few liver treats, he never made a whimper or tried to move. If it was an emergency, yes we would do it, on a regular basis I don't know, I would have to give it some serious thought. I must bring this up when we go in for our next check up in a couple of weeks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Quincy is a lot like JD. :)

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I agree Donna that does seem like a large volume considering the size of the dog. I would think they would be feeling it if that amount was removed! :( Would that be like taking 3 pints out of a 150 pound person? I wonder how much blood a dog has...

I'm curious to know what your vet says about it. I've never had a vet even mention that this type of thing exists.

Quincy sounds like a calm boy too...then there is the power of liver treats!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Donna, do you know that a unit in this case is a pint. Maybe they use smaller units?

[F, Calla & Luca]

To answer my own question:

How much blood is taken?
A standard blood donation in the dog is 450ml (‘one canine unit’) and this can safely be obtained from a 25kg dog; smaller amounts may be obtained from smaller dogs.

http://www.dogblooddonors.com/for-dog-owners/about-dog-blood-transf...

That is about the same, maybe slightly less, than a human donation!