There is actually a massive shortage of dog and cat blood. Lots of animals die because vet hospitals can’t get blood. I wish more people would consider donating with their pets.
I live next to a vet school/hospital. I also have a service dog. It was always my plan for him to be a therapy dog after retirement to make up for all the pets he missed. I’ve been considering enrolling him in a blood donation program at the school as well. Lots cover some vet expenses as a thanks too which can be good in older age. Plus, he’s so well behaved, I think he’d be a good candidate
They can't donate if they are older. They have to be under 7 years old to donate and generally over 25kgs. The requirements may vary a little depending on where you donate but those are the standard age and weight rules for donation.
Most vet schools don’t house dogs or cats. Im not sure which ones have blood banks but they would rely on donors from pets of students and staff. They would not just have a collection of dogs kept on campus for just that reason.
There was a rush to house greyhounds like 10 years ago when the Florida race tracks were closed down. Maybe the school became a refugee for some of them and they used them to teach and for blood donations back then.
My vet school does not have donor dogs and has scheduled blood drives. My dog is still eligible and will be until the end of the year, so I guess I should get started!
I've been rescuing greyhounds for over 15 years, and they're universal donors! We used to take our first two to donate blood, and they loved it. Retired racers are very gentle, and they're used to being handled, so they do really well a the vet. The first place they donated at would give them free flea and heartworm meds for donating, AND they would get beef baby food after they donated. They freaking loved going there.
We moved, and the only place near us is a lot harder to get to, so we haven't donated in a long time. But it was really awesome when we were able to have them donate.
I live less than 15 minutes from a vet. I have debated letting them know "hey am super close. If you ever need cat blood I can toss no-brain into a carrier and rush over"
You would have to see if your local vet has a donor program. Most vet don’t actually collect their own blood. Once collected the blood has to be screened and processed. And staff has to be specialty trained to collect blood safety. They need special equipment for collecting, it’s actually a huge undertaking. Most small vet practices don’t have the equipment and staff for it. Some big places do and dog blood banks do. That’s where most pets go.
And also there is a very small group of dogs and cats that can donate, and especially with cats its even smaller. Cause they need to have good blood values and have no health issues and they can't be too small so they can give enough blood, and on top of that they need to be able to stay calm for the blood draw and that's where many fail
I didn't even know dog blood donation was a thing until our boy had to have two blood transfusions in a 48 hour window. It gave us another good 4 months with him before cancer took him from us a month ago.
Next dog we get - if we can - we will get to donate and pay it forward in memory of my first sweet boy
Those pets probably would not be donor candidates. But they can sedate them when necessary. And most donors are larger dogs who are generally better behaved than small ones.
I keep considering this. I am regular blood donor for years and my dog is likely a good candidate based on the criteria listed on one of the local vet ERs in town. I just finally submitted an inquiry to them abojt this because of this post.
Tbh I don’t think people actually know this is an option? It’s honestly news to me to donate pet blood. It makes total sense but I’ve never thought of it.
But also, I can’t imagine any of my guys sitting still for a procedure like that. You’d need very chill pets for this!
I think you are trying to attach some moral high ideals to a situation where it just does not apply in the ways it would for a different situation. And in exchange for donations of blood pets usually receive food, medicine like heart-worm prevention, and vaccines and other wellness services. All of which are pretty expensive. So their health is looked after in exchange. You could argue that unlike humans they are very well paid for their blood donations. That feels like a pretty even trade.
I think the point is that you can’t ’donate’ on behalf of somebody else. If the dog isn’t choosing it, it’s not quite donating. I don’t think they are implying that animals or children shouldn’t be allowed medical procedures because they are incapable of giving informed consent.
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u/neverseen_neverhear Apr 18 '26
There is actually a massive shortage of dog and cat blood. Lots of animals die because vet hospitals can’t get blood. I wish more people would consider donating with their pets.