A local animal hospital in Guelph is hosting a special blood donor clinic.
The Guelph Animal Hospital is inviting dog owners to bring their pets to the clinic this Saturday (Nov. 18) to donate their dog’s blood.
Much like humans, dogs also require blood transfusions for medical procedures like surgery.
“There are a number of medical conditions in which we need to give dogs and cats blood products,” said Dr. Renee Fleming, a veterinarian and co-owner of the Guelph Animal Hospital.
“Some are infectious diseases, immune-mediated diseases, trauma or blood loss, and it can be hard if there is no blood available for clinics to use.”
A number of veterinary clinics across Canada have these blood donor clinics for pets. They are organized by the Canadian Animal Blood Bank out of Winnipeg.
And like their human owners, dog’s blood has different types.
“One is DEA-1 negative,” Fleming said. “If you are one of these dogs needing blood products, we know that we prefer to have a blood type that matches and they’re less likely to have an adverse reaction.”
But Fleming also pointed out that a blood transfusion in dogs is less complicated than for humans.
“With some exceptions, we can often, in an emergency, give a blood product to a dog without any adverse consequences.”
The pandemic saw a rise in the number of dogs and cats being adopted. Dog ownership in Ontario has gone up by 58 per cent and more than 7.7 million households in Canada own a dog.
Fleming said that translates to more animals being brought into clinics for care.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, the standard of care for our pets has dramatically increased.”
The dog blood donor clinic runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday at the animal hospital on Gordon Street.
For more information, call 519-836-2782.