B.C.'s first blood bank for pets opens

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B.C.'s first blood bank for pets opens

Glenn Bohn
Vancouver Sun


The first blood bank in British Columbia for dogs and cats had its first canine "donor" Thursday.

Belle, a six-year-old Rottweiler owned by Surrey SPCA animal control officer David Santella, has given blood three times before for transfusions to other dogs.

But this time her blood is being stored for future use at the Vancouver Animal Emergency Clinic Ltd., a privately-owned 24-hour clinic in Kitsilano.

Until now, B.C. veterinarians have had to import blood products from other jurisdictions, usually California, because there were no blood banks for pets in B.C.

Now, with the help of a centrifuge machine that looks like a high-tech clothes washer, blood plasma and blood cells can be separated, stored and refrigerated for transfusions on later dates.

Santella used to work graveyard shifts for the SPCA, when he saw a lot of dogs who needed blood in a hurry, such as one that lost blood after being hit by a car. Dogs also need blood transfusions if they eat rat poison -- an anti-coagulant that prevents blood from clotting, which makes a dog bleed. And there are many blood-related ailments that afflict specific breeds of dogs.

"If that was my pet, I'd like to think there would be another pet out there that could donate blood," said Santella when asked why he took Belle to the clinic Thursday.

Just like humans, not all dogs and cats are suitable blood donors. The clinic is looking for healthy adult cats and dogs who are spayed or neutered. It wants pets that have no history of contagious diseases, have never had a blood transfusion, have up-to-date vaccinations and are not on a raw food diet.

Cats have to be indoor cats, must be at least 4.8 kg or 10 pounds, and between one and six years old. Dogs have to be at least 20 kg or 44 pounds, and between one and five years old. (More information is posted on the clinic's Web site, www.animaler.com)