Donating Blood

[Guest Lorraineandcrew]

Hi all,

 

I have been asked by a group if I would consider donating my pup's blood to a blood bank. Apart from the obvious checking of the facility, I am curious about a few things. Is there any risk to the dog? Do they need recovery time, food etc. like we do when we donate? I have two young (3 and 4) healthy pups who meet the weight requirements. This blood bank uses the cephalic (?) veins instead of the jugular, and a pump.

 

Anybody out there donated before?

[Guest krisandzoo]

I haven't but I've read some positives. You should get all of their blood work for free. Yays! I would imagine they need treats and whatnot to keep them feeling ok.

I've thought about this briefly but I'm too pansy to donate blood. I figure the day I do it is the day I think about asking my healthy dogs to do the same.

[DocsDoctor]

Here's a link to a page on the website of the UK blood donation scheme to which Doc belongs, with diagrams and explanations which should answer all of your questions: dog blood donation procedure

 

I'm a blood donor myself and signed Doc up after reading about the scheme in my NHS donor newsletter! He hasn't been called on yet but I wouldn't have any hesitations about letting him donate. Greyhounds are so placid that they can usually donate without any kind of sedation. I know that several Retired Greyhound Trust kennels in the UK regularly have the blood bank visit to take donations from their greyhounds without any issues.

 

I'd also like to encourage krisandzoo and anyone else who's thought of donating their own blood to do so now because it's always in need. I'm asked to donate every 4 months and it really isn't a big deal - you don't even need to watch the needle go in or the blood coming out if you don't want to. Recovery time is minimal too - these days you are only asked to keep lying down afterwards for a couple of minutes, though you do still get offered tea and biscuits afterwards!

 

 

[Guest armanntoo]

My Wendy os a blood donor. She does not give on a regular basis, but is on call by my vet when she needs her. There have been no side effects, and when done, she usually gets a few extra treats.

 

Just knowing that she has been able to help makes me fees good about it.

[Jiffer]

My kids are donors. Echo (10), Orion (~9), Uber (6)

Atlas (~9) is retired due to a grade 2/3 heart murmur.

 

They donate every couple months. Donation can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 50 minutes depending on the dog. Orion is a slow bleeder, Echo is fast. The dogs get totally spoiled while there with liver treats and lots of lovings. Orion is their favourite.. maybe that's why he's so slow.

They do take from the neck at ours.

Side effects.. well, there really aren't any. I think they get more tuckered from the drive and then the visit then from the donation. Usually our donations happen at night, ours go home and sleep and are back to normal the next morning.

After they donate, I always buy ours a plain old fashioned Timbit to last them until we get home (30 minute drive), as a treat too. Once home, they get 1/3 cup of kibble.

They always come home with a bandage wrapped around their necks. I remove it before bed.. so probably an hour or two after the donation.

 

Orion at the vet just after his donation:

Orion after donating:

Echo after donating:

[Guest spider9174]

Hi all,

 

I have been asked by a group if I would consider donating my pup's blood to a blood bank. Apart from the obvious checking of the facility, I am curious about a few things. Is there any risk to the dog? Do they need recovery time, food etc. like we do when we donate? I have two young (3 and 4) healthy pups who meet the weight requirements. This blood bank uses the cephalic (?) veins instead of the jugular, and a pump.

 

Anybody out there donated before?

 

 

My male is a blood donor and a former foster was a donor. IMHO, it's no different when we donate. Don't eat within 1 hour before, make sure you eat that day. The evet that Gable donates to gives them fluids. They gave me some canned i/d food the day he donated. I was asked to limit his activity, nothing strenuous for the rest of the day.

 

From what I udnerstand, the evet that I go to does doggy massage while they are donating. Neither my foster or Gable want to leave, they both tried to go back to the back. Hmm....

 

The rebound time...as with humans...blood volume decreases, but takes 24 hours or so to increase to normal. Red blood cell count takes about 8-12 weeks to reach normal, so they only allow donation every 3 months.

 

The only thing I'd watch is that they do put a pressure bandage on the neck after donating. other breeds it isn't as big of a deal, but my foster bleed a little after she gave and needed a pressure bandage. It wasn't a big deal and it happened in the waiting room. They usually want to keep the dogs for at least an hour and watch them.

 

I saw no adverse reactions. It's a great program. Gable got a bandana that says Bloodhound Gang on it...LOL. And they gave him a tag that indicates he's a donor. And...a year of heartguard and frontline plus. Can't beat that!

[queenwinniesmom]

My angel Nick donated blood to help his sister Patsy when she had her spleen removed (lymphosarcoma). He did fine. I have 2 friends who had gotten their Greyhounds from a local vet hospital, which kept them as regular blood donors (because Greys are excellent donors). They were there for several years, and then retired---again!

[NeylasMom]

My male donates. My female is too nervous (and now too old). Assuming your center does things similarly, it's a great thing to do. Zuri loves it, he gets tons of treats before and after and there haven't been any after effects. We limit our exercise the remainder of hte day as someone else mentioned, but that's it.

 

One note, I remember someone posting that the vet at their blood bank wanted to anesthetize her dog to draw the blood, which is totally ridiculous. It's unnecessary in the first place, and not without risk to your dog's health. I mention it only if you happen to have a place like that and all of us are giving glowing recommendations on the assumption that they don't.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I have a blood donor who I adopted 2 years ago from the blood bank here in California. As far as I know, no risk and a lot of benefit. One of my seniors I lost 8 months ago was a receipiant so I am always greateful to all the blood donors. Thank you for even considering it.

[Xan]

Brilly has gone once, so far. No side effects. They told me it takes about 10 minutes for the actual draw, from the jugular, but they take the opportunity (under light anaesthesia) to scale teeth, clean ears, trim nails, etc.. There are other benefits, too. Free blood if my pets ever need it, blood work, exam, and a choice of flea meds. He didn't even get a big bandage like Jiffer's dogs. They keep him for a couple hours, feed him and watch him, just to make sure everything is hunky dory, and he had to pee like a race ... er, race dog when I took him out, so they must have giving him fluids, too.

[Guest jomalley]

I've only heard good things about one in Florida that Friends of Greyhounds frequently uses and recommends.

http://www.sunstates.org/

We didn't pass the pre-screening, but you got a credit for every pint you donated in case (heaven-forbid) you ever needed it someday.

[Guest LynnM]

It's easy. Doesn't hurt me a bit!

 

Both of my guys are universal donors (dog version of O-). Not all greyhounds are, contrary to what many people believe. My old man, Joplin was the clinic donor for a long time. Louis is available but is such a turd to restrain that he's sort of the bottom of the list. It takes less than 10 minutes and there's no real risk. At the clinic where I worked, we only donated when there was a patient that required it. Oftentimes the owners of the recipient wanted to meet Joplin... we used to joke about how fast their dog was going to be with all that greyhound blood.

 

Lynn

[Guest greytelectric]

My male 5 year old grey is a blood donor with an emergency animal hospital here in Portland. I am not familiar with the way they are drawing that you describe - the hospital here takes from the neck. According to the staff at the hospital, there is no "down time". When dogs give blood, they walk out with the same number of red blood cells they walked in with. Freeway seems absolutely fine afterwards. We are typically in and out in about 30-40 minutes.

 

First he gets a free physical. Then they put him up on an actual massage table and he gets a massage. They shave a little portion of his neck and then draw the blood. He usually falls asleep. Doesn't feel a thing. Then they put a wrap around his neck which I have to keep on for about 2 hours. Usually, when I take it off, I can't even tell where they took the blood.

 

Afterwards, another thank you massage. Then lots of treats and he gets to pick a free toy.

 

It's a wonderful program. Have had absolutely no problems.

 

Oh, and they do not sedate him. No need to!

Edited April 12, 2008 by greytelectric

[HopeForHounds]

Three of my 4 are blood donors and our clinic uses the method you are talking about. I think the people who contacted you might be the same ones who do our clinics. If so they are awesome We do our clinics in a home which is more relaxed for both the dogs and their people. I stay with my dogs, and they enjoy the extra attention. We require the dogs stay for a period after to monitor them and then they are free to go. All of mine recover very quickly, a nap and they are raring to go.

 

Here's Jake during one of his sessions. He has been a donor for 2 years now and give in less than 15 minures.

 

Edited April 12, 2008 by foxysmom

[Trekkysmom7]

2 of my 4 hounds are blood donors. 2 cannot donate due to health reasons. Trixie donated for many years until I retired her due to her arthritis medication earlier this year. Watson has donated for about 1 year. The local emergency vet hospital sponsors this blood donation. It takes about 30 minutes per hound. We get free yearly heartworm/tick screening. We also get heartgard and frontline for 2 months and a bag of treats and a toy. We donate about every 2-3 months. My hounds have never suffered any ill effects. They have a bandage around their neck that I remove before bedtime. They seem a little tired that night but by morning are back to their usual self.

 

--Kim with hounds Trekky and Trixie and Kirby and watson and Angel Monty

Edited April 12, 2008 by Trekkysmom7

[Guest Bodie]

Two days ago I got a call at work from my vet's office - could I bring Rainy in right away. They had an emergency case that needed blood. I called home and my daughter rushed Rainy in to donate. The procedure took less than 15 minutes (they draw from the neck) and Rainy was sent home. The wonderful thing is, that on the way to her car, my daughter was stopped by a woman who asked if Rainy was the blood donor. When told yes, the woman burst into tears and thanked my daughter profusely. It was her dog that Rainy was donating for, and possibly saved. The emotional rewards are tremendous. By donating, your beloved grey helps another beloved pet live.

 

By the way, Rainy suffers no ill effects from donating (she has donated in another emergency). She sleeps a bit more after donating and I make sure she has plenty of water available, but by the next day she's back to normal and in rare form once again!

[Guest Kitty_cat]

Stewie donated today for the first time. We were in/out within an hour.

I requested to watch, at first the technician declined but after seeing how sweet he was for his blood clotting test I was allowed to watch the blood collection procedure. They used the jugular and a pump, it actually only took maybe 5 min to get the blood. Then pressure was applied for 5-10 min to stop bleeding, I had to apply a bit of pressure at home again as it had started to bleed again (not gushing just dripping).

 

They paid $25 for our time, and will order a bag of his food as well. They treated him gently, he was a bit stressed at first (panting) but then relaxed and was wagging his tail. Overall it was an excellent experience, I'll definately bring him back.

[Guest Sula]

Wow--great thread! I'd like to get my pup involved. Does anyone know if there are age restrictions? She's 10.5 months old and weighs 57 pounds.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Sula