When a three-year-old labradoodle named Gus became so sick that he stopped eating and became anemic, doctors and nurses at Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care (VE+CC) knew precisely what to do. They administered two units of blood, plasma and platelets, hoping to replenish the tiny blood cells typically made by bone marrow.

“Normally, this would work, but Gus was suffering from a platelet disorder known as immune-mediated thrombocytopenia or ITP, which means antiplatelet-specific antibodies were destroying his platelets in circulation or at the level of the bone marrow,” says Jennifer Wessel, assistant manager at VE+CC. “I remember what happened like it was yesterday because I was the nurse on duty. We started wondering if it was time to say goodbye, but Gus wanted to live. He wanted to fight. It was just that his body wasn’t responding.”

In a last-ditch effort, the doctors wanted to try one more treatment option before giving up hope. They wanted to save Gus by trying a straight whole-blood transfusion, which requires the donor to be present — something that is much more common among humans than our furry friends. 

“It was the best-case option for the pet, but the truth is that we do not have many emergency donors that are ready to come in, and our list is getting shorter every day,” Jennifer says. “Most people don’t even think about the importance of an animal blood bank, let alone adding their name to the short list of emergency donors.”

Fortunately for Gus, one of Jennifer’s own dogs was on the list, and the blood types matched. Her dog was the labradoodle’s last chance. It worked.

After the treatment, the condition reversed itself in the early afternoon. Gus started eating again. Two days later, he reunited with his owners and now only visits the VE+CC for follow-up checks.

‘These are the kinds of success stories we strive for every day at the VE+CC,” says Jennifer. “But it’s also a challenge to keep local community-based blood banks supplied because canine blood has a very short shelf life and national closed-colony blood suppliers are closing much like commercial blood banks were phased out years ago.”

While everyone agrees commercial blood banks that once bred and raised donors were unethical, most modern closed-colony blood suppliers try to establish more humane standards of care, such as only keeping rescue dogs for a limited period of time before placing them in adoptive homes. The few facilities left currently supply about 40 percent of the nation’s need for dog and cat blood, and there is often a four-week waiting period to receive supplies from national blood banks. And these wait periods are expected to grow even longer as some states shift exclusively to community local community-based blood banks.

“We’re doing our best to educate the community about the growing need for voluntary blood donors, especially as some of our long-time volunteer donors age out,” says Jennifer. “The Las Vegas Animal Blood Bank is our primary supplier of blood to the critical care unit and local veterinary hospitals. One day, it may even become an exclusive supplier for area pets.”

There are benefits to becoming a donor. Dogs enrolled in the program receive a complete physical exam with every visit and free blood work every year. Any findings are reported to the pet’s regular veterinarian. Donors will also receive credit for a free blood product for every donation made and 10 percent off any Emergency Room visit at the Veterinary Speciality Center.

“Another benefit for pet owners is learning the dog’s blood type, which is something most pet owners never know until it’s needed,” says Jennifer. “If you know your dog’s blood type and store this information in pet records like All About Spot, then you could save precious minutes if your pet ever needs critical care.”

The screening process for donors only takes about 30 minutes. It includes a physical examination, basic bloodwork, infectious disease screening, and blood typing. 

“Part of the screening process also considers the dog,” said Jennifer. “We are looking for calm, cooperative donors. If the pet shows signs of stress or duress, they are not an ideal candidate.”

Along with a good temperament, ideal candidates are likely one to six years of age, have a minimum body weight of 55 pounds, are current on vaccinations, not on medications except heartworm prevention, and have never received a transfusion. Cats are also welcome to become donors under slightly different criteria (such as weight), but the need for cat donors is not as dire as for dog owners since many VE+CC nurses have enrolled their cats.

Dogs have seven blood types, the most common type being DEA 1.1, which may be safely donated to other DEA 1.1 dogs. Greyhounds, boxers, Irish wolfhounds, German shepherds, dobermans, and pit bulls are generally DEA 1.1 negative. Breeds more commonly DEA 1.1 positive are golden retrievers and labradors. Dogs that only possess the DEA 4 protein are considered universal donors. 

Cats have three blood types. These include A, B, and a very rare type called “AB.” Only cats with the rare “AB” type do not have anti-A or anti-B antibodies, which makes them universal recipients. There are no universal donors for cats.

For more information about the Las Vegas Animal Blood Bank, visit VE+CC. For more information on safely storing your pet records online, sign up with All About Spot. And also can check links page