Karen Graham
Business in the emergency practise of local veterinary clinic, Cavan Hills, has picked up significantly over the past few years. Dr. Audrey Chouinard believes pet owners are taking more dramatic (and expensive) steps to heal their pets when faced with serious illness and traumatic injury. No longer does a car accident or a cancer diagnosis lead to automatic euthanasia; owners are taking more extreme measures which often involve surgery. As evidence, Dr. Chouinard reports that in the past, the clinic would perform emergency surgical procedures approximately once a month, but now it happens once a week.
Staff and customers with their canine blood donors. From left to right: Staff member Danica with German Shepherd Angel, customer Shelby Lynn Dart with Old Victorian Bulldog donor Juggernaut, RVT Katy, Robin Eastland with Great Pyrenees cross Kona, Dr. Kaitlin Bahlmann and RVT Natasha. Photo: Karen Graham.
When animals require surgery, they often require blood transfusions. This is the case when an animal has been hit by a car, for example, or has been the victim of mauling by another animal. Surgical procedures where internal bleeding is present, such as when a tumour or spleen must be removed, or in the case of immune disorders, blood for the patients is required. While there are blood banks where animal blood can be purchased in large urban centres like Toronto, Cavan Hills prefers to generate their own supply.
There are two different types of blood for both canine and feline patients based on their blood chemistry. The blood collection process for animals is similar to the one for humans- a syringe is inserted into a limb. For most donors, the process takes as little as 15 minutes, but if the donor is nervous, it receives a mild sedation, and an IV catheter is inserted. Blood products have a shelf life of 30 days, but no blood collected is wasted- prior to its expiry, donated blood is processed into blood products such as plasma, which are flash frozen and stored in house.
Not every pet is eligible to be a donor. First they must be healthy, and each candidate is screened prior to every donation. Animals must also have a minimum age and weight: dogs must weigh over 50 lbs and be at least 5 years old and cats must weigh at least 8 lbs. and be between 1 and 8 years of age. They must be neutered and have experienced no previous pregnancies. Animals can safely donate blood every 2 months, but the clinic prefers a period of three to four months between donations. Most of the pets of the Cavan Hills staff are also blood donors. This means in times of emergency if no suitable blood is available, the clinic can find a donor on short notice from the pet of a staff member or from a local regular blood donor.
Juggernaut, pictured left with owner Shelby Lynn Dart, is one of those regular donors and has given blood at least six times. For this dog, the process takes less than half an hour, and usually he does not require sedation as he now knows the routine. The trick, according to Dr. Chouinard, is to keep the donor distracted with lots of attention. As a serious animal lover, Shelby is happy her dog is able to help other pets in need, and the staff make the process as convenient as possible for donor pet owners, keeping them overnight if necessary.
At the moment, Cavan Hills has 30 canine donors available to meet their needs, but only have 8 feline donors, so they are low in this area. If you have an animal that meets the age and size requirements, has a calm demeanor and would like to help other pet owners with this life-saving resource, contact Cavan Hills Veterinary Services at 705-944-5776 to discuss this possibility.
