Tufts Veterinary Hospital in Grafton Mass has a blood bank for cats and dogs. They actually have blood drives. If you bring in a healthy pet that qualifies you get a $50 credit for hospital services. The word doesn't spread very well though, unfortuantely it pretty much is just spread through the veterinary community. The hospital where I work usually has a cat that lives at our hospital as a donor. They are usually an abandoned animal that we take in and fix up, as long as they meet all the health standards they live with us for a year as a donor, then we find them a home. Usually with ine of the staff because we get attached. They have it good too because we only do about 2-4 transfusions a year because we are a small hospital and are not emergency based. > > From: "Chris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2004/12/10 Fri PM 06:14:44 EST > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: updat on tai-tai > > You know, I never thought about that business of getting cats for > transfusions.... But I guess if people are spending millions to buy human > organs from living donors, then it stands to reason that some folks would > actually do that with cats! I do remember a thread here somewhere that > talked about blood banks for cats?? (I think) > > > By the way, have you read the threads about someone here getting special > approval to begin using the new feline version of Interferon? > > Chris > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Ong Meo > Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 3:29 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: updat on tai-tai > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Does anyone have any experience with epogen in feline leukemia anemic > cats. I have found that there are no contraindications, but little on how > well it works. > > Epo usually doesn't help FeLV-cats. What is your cat's PCV (Hct) and WBC > count? > > I can tell you what has worked for me in several of my FeLV fosters - human > recombinant interferon alpha (rHuIFN-a) - but at much larger doses than 30 > U/d. Large doses (1,000 U- 10,000 U q 24 h) has produced reductions in the > viral load. Even a temporary reduction in viral load might allow the cat's > immune system to improve sufficiently to mount a renewed immune response. > This therapy can be followed only for a few weeks. At such large doses, the > cat is sure to develop antibodies. > > Another technique for reducing anti antigenemia and viremia is whole blood > transfusions. However, I only advise this technique if you have access to > several donor cats and are able to test the cats before transfusion. I'm > very reluctant to mention this method because I've heard of people adopting > and even kidnapping cats to use as donors. OTOH I can't live with > withholding information that may save or prolong a cat's live. > > > > > >
