We’ve been familiar with human blood donations for a long time. Everyone knows that it’s the one thing you can do to help your fellow human. But did you know that domestic animals like cats and dogs can also donate blood to help their paw friends too?

Today, we will discuss this with a pet expert from CUVET Blood Bank, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University (CUVET). She will introduce us to animal blood donation!

Firstly, please introduce yourself.

Hello, I am Suwarat Wadeerat from CUVET Blood Bank, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University.

What are the pros and cons of animal blood donation?

There are almost no cons to blood donation. Mostly, it is an advantage to sick dogs that are waiting for blood. The pros of blood donation are that the dog that’s donating will get blood examination and health checkups every quarter.
Before undergoing a blood donation, there will be a complete blood cell count, kidney and liver checkups, and blood parasite tests. It’s a good way for pawrents to find out for free if their dogs are healthy or not.

Are there any specific health requirements for blood donation?

Dogs that can donate blood need to be of large breeds. In Thailand, Golden Retrievers, Great Dane, Rottweiler, Labrador, Boxer, and German Shepherd, are the breeds that can donate their blood. Small dogs like this (Chihuahua) cannot donate because they are too small. Dogs that are fit for a blood donation require at least 25 k.g. of body weight in order to help their friends.

What to prepare for before and after blood donation?

Almost nothing to prepare for, for dogs. Only if you have a chubby dog, it is better to avoid food for 6-8 hours prior. Just like a human blood donation, if they eat food that has a high amount of fat, after the blood separation process, your dog’s blood will have a high amount of fat too. This blood cannot be given to other dogs. This is a caution for chubby dogs’ blood donation. If your dog has a normal figure, it can eat normal food.

How long does it take to donate blood?

It takes only 10-15 minutes to donate blood. However, there will be blood tests and health checkups before to see if your dog is healthy enough to donate. These checkups take 10-15 minutes. So, the estimated time per dog is 1 hour for a blood donation.

Who can we talk to if there’s an emergency?

If your dog is in a critical stage and requires urgent blood, contact the animal emergency room, they are open 24 hours. Just like in human cases, we can give blood in emergency cases. You can call first or bring your dog in, we are open 24 hours. Additionally, there is an in-patient department that is also open 24 hours. If your dog is in a critical stage, we recommend staying in the hospital.

• Animal Emergency Room (24 hours) – 02-218-9754
• Small Animal Teaching Hospital, CUVET – 02-218-9751, 02-218-9715

Is there anything you would like to say to all pet parents and the audience?

I would like to say that animal blood donation is not that scary. Most pet parents are afraid that their dogs will get hurt. The truth is, it’s only a little, it can’t compare to saving a life, maybe two or three lives at a time. So, please donate blood for all dogs and cats that need it.

For all pet parents that have healthy dogs and cats, donating blood is another way to save the lives of their fellow pet friends. One bag of blood might be able to help more than one life. Your pets also get free blood tests! There’s literally almost no cons, so why not! 

Today, MyFriend would like to give the biggest thank you, to Suwarat Wadeerat and CUVET Blood Bank, Small Animal Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, for sharing such important knowledge with us. Thank you so much for teaching us and many paw parents out there about blood donation! 🥰