The welfare of our donors is at the core of what we do. Their health and wellbeing are always our priority at every step of the donation process.
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pet blood donation process
What actually happens on the day
The first step of becoming a new donor is for you and your dog to meet our team. After registering your interest for your dog to become a blood donor, our team will be in contact with you to arrange a meet & greet and blood screening before any donation is performed.
Meet & Greet
During the meet and greet session with you and your dog, one of our team members will explain the entire blood donation process in detail to you and answer any questions you may have. This is both to ensure that your dog is suitable to donate and to also make sure you are comfortable and happy with the process.
We will also get to know your dog to make sure they are a good fit for being a donor. We will make sure that they have a calm and friendly temperament, enjoying meeting new people, are comfortable going to the clinic, and are happy with being handled. We want the experience to be a positive one so they will look forward to their next visit.
Health Check
- Our team will also carry out a complete physical examination to ensure they are fit and healthy and discuss their medical history with you
- A small blood sample will be taken to complete a full health check, blood typing, and to screen for any tick-borne diseases.
The Donation
The actual donation process itself takes 10-15 minutes, with you and your dog being in the hospital for approximately an hour.
If your dog meets the requirements to become a blood donor, our team will call you to arrange a suitable time for you to visit us to donate when we are in need of blood. You are able to stay with your dog the entire time if you wish to and provide support and lots of pats and encouragement (and to offer them little treats on the house!).
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Your dog’s blood donation appointment has four parts, and the process is the same each time they donate:
1. Welcome
On arrival at our hospital, our team will meet you and take you through to our donation room for you both to get comfortable and have a play to help them get settled.
2. Pre-donation Health Check
One of our technicians will perform a physical examination and a blood test to ensure your dog is fit and healthy to donate on the day.
3. The Donation
Once your dog’s health check has been completed, the donation process will start:
Your dog will be lifted onto the donation bed. They are able to sit or lie down, but most dogs prefer to lie down and often end up falling asleep.
A small area of fur on the neck will be clipped and cleaned where the collection will be taken from. A local anaesthetic cream will be applied to the area.
Blood is then collected via the large jugular vein. It will take 10-15 minutes for blood to be taken. We use the same blood collection bags as the Red Cross Lifeblood program.
After the collection, a bandage is placed over the collection site and the donation is complete
4. Thank you!
After their donation, your pooch will receive a lot of love from our team as well as lots of treats as our sincere thanks for their hard work. You will also receive a card with information related to the donation, which you can show to your Vet should there be any issues requiring Veterinary attention.
In the 24 hours following your pet’s donation, it is recommended that strenuous exercise be avoided, plenty of fresh water be given, as well as a tasty meal and a big cuddle.
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looking after our donors
Our fully trained veterinary and nursing team run the blood bank and the donation sessions. They will ensure that you and your dog are comfortable throughout the entire process. Each dog recieves a full health check before every donation, and we run annual blood tests on all of our donors to ensure they are fit and healthy.
After each donation, dogs get offered a drink of water and a snack and we give you a goody bag to take home. The take-home bag contains a 6-month supply of Bravecto, a toy, collar and lead and a 2.5kg bag of Purina ProPlan Adult Essential Health dog food. At each subsequent donation, dogs will go home with a bag of Dentalife treats to enjoy at home, as well as a top-up of Bravecto 6 months from their first donation.
The contents of your dog's goody bag are generously donated by Bravecto, Purina and Cenvet.
The health of your dog is always our priority. Therefore, if your dog is on a special diet or you would prefer to bring your own treats for them, please do. This means we can still reward them for their involvement in the session using treats which you are happy for them to receive. Our team will always ask before giving your dog any treats.
If it is okay with you, we may take your dog's photo for our social media pages.
Interested? Register today!
If you think your dog is capable of being a blood donor and saving the lives of other dogs in need, please contact us through the form below and we will be in contact shortly.