We are open and COVID-19 SECURE. Click here to find out more
Even cats and dogs need life-saving blood
Blood transfusions are used in the treatment of conditions such as anaemia, and in many bone marrow diseases such as platelet disorders. Transfusions are also vital for replacing blood loss from severe injury, such as road traffic accidents or during major surgery where blood loss occurs.
Unfortunately, fresh blood from donor cats and dogs is hard to come by as it can be hard to find suitable donors at short notice and it is not possible to have a donor blood bank in practice. We are currently looking for new donors to be added to our donor list.
Is your pet:
Blood Typing Dogs have two main blood groups - DEA 1.1 Positive and Negative and cats have three types - A, B and AB. When we have an animal which requires a blood transfusion, we take a small sample and match this with the donors that are on our list. For cats, the matched donation must be of the same type. Dogs can receive a transfusion of either type of blood the first time it is required but the second transfusion must be a match. To establish what type of blood your pet is, we will take a small sample (1ml).
Donating Blood If we require blood from your pet we will contact you and ask if you are able to bring your pet to Rosemary Lodge, usually within a few hours. The amount of blood taken depends largely on the size of the animal, for cats this is normally around 30ml and for dogs between 300ml and 400ml. A light sedation may be required if your pet becomes stressed or anxious.
Once your pet has donated blood we will give your pet some food before you take it home. They should be rested for the rest of the day. It is unlikely that you will see any adverse affects.
How Often? It is safe for your pet to donate blood every 3 months but it is unlikely that your pet will be asked to donate more than once every 6 months.
FREE Booster As a thank you, your pet will receive their next booster vaccination for free (or products from our shop in reception up to the price of a booster).
We use cookies on our website to make it easier for you to use. Read more.
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browser our website and also allows us to improve our website. See our cookie policy.
We use 3 different types of cookies on our website. You can say which ones you're happy for us to use below.
These cookies do things like keep the website secure. They always need to be on.
These cookies store information about how you use our website, such as what you click on.
These cookies do things like tell us if you've seen our adverts on social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.