Canine Blood Donation
It was a Wednesday morning and I left my house early, wanting to give myself plenty of time to get to the clinic. But unlike most Wednesdays, I wasn’t going to work that day. Instead, I was taking one of my paid “Volunteer Days” to assist the Canadian Animal Blood Bank’s blood donor event hosted by an out-of-town veterinary hospital, as I’d done when my clinic had hosted the month prior.
Dogs need blood donors for many of the same medical reasons as humans: cancer therapy support, immune-mediated diseases, surgery, trauma and more. One of the first questions people often ask about canine blood donation is, “Do dogs have different blood types?” and the answer is yes!
Canine blood is tested to determine if they are Dog Erythrocyte Antigen (DEA) 1 Negative and Positive. Dogs who are “DEA 1 Negative” are universal donors. While any dog can donate no matter their blood type, Negative blood can be given to any pup in need, so Negative donors are critically needed for blood donation programs.
Could your furry family member be a Negative donor? It all comes down to genetics. Some of the breeds that are most likely to be Negative donors are: Airedale Terriers, American Bulldogs, Cane Corsos, Dobermans, Dogues de Bordeaux, English Bull Terriers, German Shorthaired Pointers, Greyhounds, German Shepherds, Irish Wolfhounds, Lurchers, Newfoundlands, Old English Sheepdogs, Pit Bulls, Great Pyrenees, Siberian Huskies, Standard Poodles and Weimaraners.
But it’s not just breed that makes a great donor; health and temperament are also considered as well. Once your pup passes the medical questionnaire, every effort is made to provide a stress-free experience. After all, the goal is to have your dog want to return to continue to donate for many years to come!
At the end of the donation event that day, their veterinary technician explained that all of the Negative blood we’d just collected would be out of the blood bank’s fridge and en route to a family in need by the very next day! Unfortunately, the demand for canine blood often exceeds the number of units available.
If you think your dog might qualify to be a donor, check out the Canadian Animal Blood Bank’s website for more details and watch for an event near you. You might just be the reason a family gets to bring their little one home again.
Dr. I. Wonder is here to answer your questions regarding your furry family members. If you have a question, email it to us at danielle@NeighbourhoodPetClinic.com. Our team at Neighbourhood Pet Clinic will tap into their collective experience to answer your various questions.
