Re: Canine blood donors...

[Pat Long]

Judith,

All my big dogs have been blood donors. U of Penn Vet hospital has a blood donor program, they even have a bloodmobile to go out to kennels to collect. If your dog donates with them, their blood is typed, tested for all the standard things like heartworm, anemia, as well as for clotting factors. Your dog becomes a member of the blood bank, and if he needs blood - he gets it for free, and you only pay the processing fee. That sadly worked out well when Hannibal needed transfusions after his biopsy when he had histio.

Hannibal loved donating blood. He was held by three women while he donated, the pig - he just kept wagging his tail. He was such a character. Vesta and Maggie didn't like it much, but they loved the food afterwards. Sam hated it, and we didn't do it often with him. But there was always such a need for it. Often the OR tech would wait there in the room to run the blood down for surgery patients.

They always gave a case or bag of food, it wasn't a brand that we used. So I always took it to the Morris Animal Shelter. They always panicked when they saw me pull up with a car load of dogs - but then they saw the cases of dog and cat food and heaved a sigh of relief!

If your dog is nervous about the vet, I wouldn't do it. But if you have a confident dog that doesn't mind the vet - DO IT!!

Pat Long, snowed in here in Allentown,
hoping to get home tomorrow to
Berwyn PA





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