Donating Blood

Question
Hi,
I have a 8 year old Lab/White German Shepherd and I was wondering if she capable of donating blood. I heard that dogs could donate blood, but I was wondering if there are any requirements. She has had puppies before we got her, but I don't know how many litters because she was found deserted by her owner. We got her from the SPCA. My aunt's dog was saved by other dog's blood, and I want my dog to be a donor to save another life.
Sarah

Answer
Hi Sarah,

Some larger Veterinary practices, emergency Veterinary hospitals, and university Veterinary medical centers manage their own blood donor programs to acquire and maintain the blood they need for their patients. Some of these programs have resident donors, but many others depend on volunteer blood donors.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, was the first volunteer donor program for dogs. They even have a Bloodmobile, that goes around collecting donated blood.

Veterinary hospital and University veterinary medical center blood donor programs:

*   Canine Blood Bank of Central -Iowa
*   Murphy's Blood Bank - Arizona
*   Dove Lewis Blood Bank - Oregon
*   Ocean State Veterinary Specialists - Rhode Island
*   Angell-Boston Blood Donor Program - Massachusetts
*   Denver Veterinary Blood Bank -Colorado
*   Buddies for Life Canine Blood Bank - Michigan
*   Emergency Clinic For Animals Blood Donor Program- Wisconsin
*   University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
*   Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine
*   Veterinary Teaching Hospital at North Carolina State University
*   College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University
*   Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine

These regional blood banks also rely on volunteer blood donors:

* The Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank - Maryland
* The Pet Blood Bank - Texas
* HemoSolutions - Colorado
* The Sun States Animal Blood Bank - Florida
* Midwest Animal Blood Services - Michigan

To become a donor, a dog must be healthy and up to date on all required vaccines, including a heartworm preventative. They'll need to pass a comprehensive physical exam. Dogs must be on a preventive health and vaccination schedule that includes remaining on a heartworm preventive, and having a comprehensive annual physical as long as they are donors.

Donors can have no history of serious disease, no history of receiving a blood transfusion, and they cannot be taking any medication (except a heartworm preventative.) For female donors, some programs add no history of pregnancy to that list.

Donors must be friendly, obedient, even-tempered dogs. They must be calm enough to remain lying on their sides or sitting for 10 minutes and they must be cooperative about Veterinary exams. Hyper dogs and dogs who are anxious around strangers or nervous about being touched and examined are not donor candidates. A dog will never be forced to donate.

The ideal volunteer canine blood donor is an easy-going, large breed dog who has the "universal donor" blood type. There are over a dozen blood types in dogs, but about 40% to 45% have a universal type.

If you are able to get your dog into a blood collection program, you can save money on your dog's preventative health care. In many programs, donor dogs get annual physical examinations that include blood tests, annual vaccinations, a heartworm preventative and heartworm screening bloodwork - all completely free for as long as the dogs are in the program.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,


Patti