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. . . . . . . .. . . . . Pets Need Blood Donors Too
L. Howell
The
American Red Cross asks people to donate blood. Shortages in human
blood supplies are usually well publicized. But did you know that
there is also a shortage of blood available for your dogs and cats?
For that matter, did it ever occur to you that your dog or cat might
need a blood transfusion?
Think
about it . . . our pets can suffer from accidents and disease just
like we do and they may also need blood. Our pets are part of our
families. We, as loving pet owners, want the best possible veterinary
care for our hairy four-legged children and have proven that we
are willing to spend our hard-earned dollars to make sure that they
get it. According to an American Pet Products Manufacturers survey,
most of the estimated 31 billion dollars that will be spent on our
pets this year will be for veterinary care.
With
advances in veterinary medicine such as open-heart surgery, removal
of tumors and aggressive treatment of traumas, the number of surgical
procedures on pets has increased dramatically, so therefore, has
the need for blood and blood products.
Even
though the first dog-to-dog blood transfusion of record took place
in 1665, the specialty of animal transfusion medicine is a relatively
new concept. Currently, there are four major animal blood banks
around the country - Midwest Animal Blood Services, Inc. in Stockbridge
MI; The Animal Blood Bank in Dixon, CA; Hemopet in Garden Grove,
CA; and Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank in Annapolis, MD. At present,
blood supplies are exceedingly low at all four of these national
animal blood banks. All four have a back-order list. The current
wait for cat plasma is about 2 months. For dog plasma, it's about
6 weeks.
According
to Pat Kaufman, Director of the Animal Blood Bank, "There are
more dogs that need blood than there are dogs to give it and we
just can't keep up." Only about 5% of all dogs screened qualify
as donors. Federal standards for human blood donations don't apply
to animals, but veterinarians follow some general standards. Dogs
should weigh at least 35 pounds, must have vaccinations and must
be free of blood-born parasites and disease. Cats should weigh at
least 10 pounds and must be free of feline leukemia, feline AIDS
and other diseases. Pregnant animals and animals in heat cannot
be donors.
Dog
and cat blood is not interchangeable, meaning dog blood cannot be
given to a cat, and vice-versa. Dog and cat blood is also type specific.
As with human blood, not all blood types are compatible. There is
a universal blood type for dogs; however, it's one of the least
common dog blood types.
As
the number of procedures performed on pets increases and as veterinary
surgery becomes more complex, the demand for dog and cat blood has
skyrocketed. Blood banks and veterinary emergency clinics are trying
to increase awareness of the problem and bolster supplies. Some
reward pet owners for donations with goodies like free pet food,
free exams and blood analysis, dog or cat treats and toys, and a
free blood transfusion if it's ever needed. Some veterinary clinics
keep a cat who has the most common cat blood type around as a clinic
mascot and possible donor in case a transfusion is needed on the
spot. (Most cats in the United States have the same blood type.)
Even with an increasing number of dogs and cats being pressed into
service as donors, supplies are frequently depleted. One ray of
hope for ending these blood shortages is an artificial hemoglobin
called Oxyglobin that's being used to replace natural blood in animal
transfusions. Oxyglobin doesn't require blood typing or cross matching.
Although it doesn't last as long in the bloodstream as a blood transfusion,
its use can give valuable time to critical patients waiting for
natural blood.
Now
that you know about the animal blood shortage problem, you might
want to consider discussing the matter with your veterinarian. Blood
typing is a relatively painless procedure and test results are available
in a matter of minutes. If your pet has a disease or emergency where
they need a blood product, they usually need it right away and you'll
want to prevent any unnecessary delays in treatment.
L. Howell
New York Pet Gazette
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