In our Facebook group today, a member put the call out for a canine blood donor. Her lovely dog was in dire straights at our local AEC (Accident Emergency Centre) and requires a life saving blood transfusion.
The response from our members was amazing and hopefully, this pooch will do ok. Because of this callout to the group, one of our members suggested we implement a list of available dogs who fit the criteria in case it was needed again. Apparently, the onus is on the CLIENT to locate a donor dog which is why the member posted to our group. This could be difficult for some people at a very stressful time so, if you are a member of our FB Group, we will hopefully get together a list of willing owners/dogs that may shorten the search process and take off some of the pressure on an already stressed owner.
I called AEC on Wickham Rd in Moorabbin and told them that our group has over 2,800 members and could be a good resource for blood donors. I found out the following:
Donor Dog Criteria
Must be aged between 2 and 7 years old (no younger but 7+ could be ok)
Minimum weight - 25kgs and up
Must be fit and healthy - not overweight
Prefer the dog to be on Heartworm prevention regime
Must have no current medical conditions
Must be fully vaccinated
What happens when your dog is a donor?
They are sedated for blood collection - not anaesthetised but sedated
They will be there for a few hours
Their neck will be clipped as the blood will be taken via their jugular
They will receive IV fluids
They will need to rest for a few days
If you are interested in helping out in this way, it is recommended you call your vet and register your dog with them.