Vet's desperate plea to help end dog blood shortage
Vets are desperately pleading with dog owners to help end the canine blood shortage by getting their pets to give blood.
Like humans, dogs can save the lives of three other pooches by donating blood.
On Thursday Pedigree launched the life-saving campaign Donate with a Mate, an event where canines and their owners could give blood together, to raise awareness of the shortage.
“Every day dogs around the country are taken to vets with injuries that require them to have blood transfusions – but there’s such little awareness around the fact that dogs need and can donate blood,” Dr Katrina Warren, of the Australian Animal Blood Bank, said in a statement.
“Donate with a Mate is an important step in normalising canine blood donation by partnering it with something we’re all aware of, human blood donations.”
Pet owners who want to nominate their dogs to give blood will need to ensure their canine is eligible.
According to the Australian Animal Blood Bank, dogs must have a good temperament and be willing to “volunteer”.
Dogs must also weigh between 25 and 70 kilograms and be aged between one and six.
Pets are to be in excellent health and can’t donate if they have recently been sick, have a serious health condition, have been diagnosed with a heart problem, ever had a seizure or a vaccination in the past four weeks.
Some medications ingested two weeks before giving blood may also prevent a dog from donating and they can’t give blood if they have already done so in the past six weeks.
Females who have been pregnant and aren’t desexed are also banned from donating.
The Australian Animal Blood Bank says dogs will undertake a pre-screening to ensure they are willing to donate so they aren’t put under any stress.
To find your closest blood donation centre, visit the Australian Animal Blood Bank website or speak to your vet.
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