How Your Dog Can Become a Blood Donor

It's not just humans that need blood drives in order to help save lives during medical emergencies. Dogs, too, need plenty of blood donations for helping them survive illness, accident or attacks. If your dog is healthy, less than ten years old, over 60 pounds and not pregnant, then your dog could be a candidate for canine blood bank donations. But all healthy, vaccinated dogs (no matter what their breed) may be suitable candidates.

Keep in mind that this is a charitable act. You will not get paid for having your dog donate blood. But if everyone with healthy dogs donated just once, there would be a lot less suffering in the world. You'll feel good doing a charitable act and your dog will probably love the adventure and meeting new people.

Finding A Bank

The UK has a service called Dog Blood Donors , where they connect veterinary services with owners of healthy dogs. They also help screen donor candidates. There usually isn't a fee in order to use this service, but they will happily welcome any monetary donations as well as blood donations.

It's a little trickier finding a canine or pet blood bank in America. Your vet may know of such as service. Vets tend to keep large dogs like Labradors in case emergency blood transfusions are needed. If you live close to the clinic, perhaps the vet could contact you to bring your dog if a blood donation is needed.

America does have a little-known central pet blood bank called, appropriately enough, The Pet Blood Bank . They hold pet blood drives in various areas of the country, usually in Texas and Florida because those are where their branch offices are located. It's best to contact them for current information about having your dog become a blood donor.

Another good place to contact is a local veterinary college. Some, like the College of Veterinary Medicine in Washington State , act just like a blood bank for both dogs and cats. Keep in mind that each college may have different requirements for donor dogs, so what you read on a website for one veterinary college may not be the same for another.

Screening Process

Not all dogs will enjoy being a blood donor. If you have the type of dog that can never seem to sit still, then he or she will not be able to give blood. It takes about ten minutes for a dog to fill a 450 ml bag, so the dog will need to be calm and still during that time.

Even if your dog can stay still, the dog may not be accepted. Pet blood banks will take a blood sample and make sure the dog is healthy.

They will also figure out what blood type your dog is. Just like people, dogs have different blood types. Also like people, there is one type that can be accepted by most dogs. Greyhounds, boxers and pit bull types usually carry this universal blood type, which is why they are preferred.