Blood donations are an important part of veterinary medicine.
Just like humans donate blood, cats and dogs have specific blood types and can also donate to save lives! QVS and PetER are a 24 hour emergency and referral hospital, as such we frequently see patients that need lifesaving blood transfusions.
Blood donations may be needed for conditions such as:
Traumatic injuries
Internal bleeding
Rodenticide toxicity
Auto-immune conditions (such as immune mediated haemolytic anaemia and immune mediated thrombocytopaenia)
Congenital bleeding disorders
Cat and dog blood is in higher demand than human blood and we rely on superhero donors to help us save lives! If you think your pet would make an ideal candidate for a doner, please continue to read the criteria below.
Your cat or dog may be an appropriate donor if they are:
Cats
1-8 years old
Body weight > 5kg
Up to date with F3 vaccinations, and flea/tick/worm prevention
Has never had kittens
Dogs
1-8 years old
Body weight > 23kg
Up to date with C5 vaccinations, and flea/tick/worm/heartworm prevention
Has never had puppies
They will also need to have:
Good temperament
No current medications
Never had a transfusion, tick antiserum or snake antivenom
No travel history
As part of participating in the program, our blood donors receive:
A free health check, including bloodwork and infectious disease testing, as part of blood donor screening (estimated value $940 – $1900 per year)
A year’s supply of Nexgard Spectra/Bravecto Plus (estimated value $200)
Subsidised blood transfusions if your pet is ever in the unfortunate position of requiring the blood bank themselves (packed red blood cell, whole blood, or plasma transfusions).
A present to say thank you!
Interested?
If you would like to know more, please contact us at stafford@qldvetspecialists.com.au. Alternatively, register your pet for blood donation below. If your pet is a suitable donor we will set up a convenient time for us to meet them.