Each year, countless lives are preserved due to blood transfusions. Blood recipients - who may have once faced death - can soon be back on their four feet, wagging their tails behind them. They are the many dogs who received transfusions from veterinary blood banks.

"If you take plasma from the blood and give it to puppies dying from Parvo disease, they'll perk right up within 24 hours," remarked Tracy Hendrickson, MT (ASCP) SH, director of Vet-Pro Labs Inc. in Tulsa, OK, which offers blood fresh, frozen plasma for transfusion. She estimated that her laboratory sells between 200 and 300 units per year. Many facilities across the United States provide similar services to ensure that man's best friend stays in the best health.

DONOR DOGS. Vet-Pro utilizes 17 Boxers to provide blood and plasma. The "donor dogs" are considered heroes in Oklahoma veterinary community. "They have helped save hundreds of lives, especially young puppies dying of Parvo disease," stated Hendrickson. Parvo is lethal intestinal virus that is common in unvaccinated puppies.

Hendrickson uses Boxers for blood donation because of their size and strength. ""They have really good veins, and a dog must weigh over 50 pounds to be a good donor," she said.

The donor dogs are in excellent health, are obedience-trained, drug-free, and have had their blood specially typed and screened for infectious diseases.

PROCEDURE. Blood is collected from each of the Boxers approximately once a month. Three laboratory staff members are needed for the procedure: one to hold the dog, one to use the needle and one to monitor the blood flow for clots or other problems.

Blood is drawn from the dog's jugular vein. However, the dogs do not need to be tranquilized. "They just lie down and get their ears scratched during the procedure and then they get a big treat afterward," said Hendrickson. "They only experience the normal slight discomfort associated with blood donation. The Boxers are very cooperative when donating."

Blood is then stored until requested from a veterinarian. Normally, a clinic calls to place an order for units of blood and plasma and a driver will be dispatched immediately to deliver the items.

Sometimes, the dogs will be used for on-site donations. If the veterinarian has need for extremely fresh blood for infusion into another canine, Hendrickson will take one of her dogs to the veterinary clinic and the veterinarian will help with the transfusion.

BLOOD GROUPS. Currently eight blood groups are categorized under the dog erythrocyte antigen system. Most national and international laboratories that perform blood typing have a standardized procedure to test for the most significant blood factor in the dog, known as the lytic factors DEA 1.1 and 1.2. Dogs that test negative for these two factors are often referred to as "universal donors." Work is currently underway to standardize the remaining blood groups.

STORAGE. The FFP that Vet-Pro provides is cell-free and contains all clotting factors including labile factors V and VIII as well as water, electrolytes, plasma proteins and globulins. The plasma is separated from the red blood cells and frozen 1 to 6 hours after collection.

Ideally, FFP should be kept frozen at 0 degrees or cooler. It should be thawed at temperatures between 30-37 degrees Fahrenheit and used 24 hours after thawing. Unused FFP can be stored and used for antibody replacement when coagulations factors are not needed. Whole blood and packed red blood cells are stored between 34-43 degrees Fahrenheit.

RISKS All canine transfusions carry some degree of risk due to the question of compatibility. Because animals have varied blood types, complete compatibility is nearly impossible. Cross-matching prior to transfusion reveals potential reactions due to natural iso-antibodies and antibodies developed by sensitization, greatly reducing the risk associated with transfusion. Cross-matching will not identify incompatibility to DEA 1.1 or 1.2 blood types unless previous sensitization has occurred and is not a substitute for blood typing.

Approximately 25 percent of the first-time transfusions of untyped donor blood to an animal of unknown blood type will result in development of anti-DEA 1.1, 1.2 antibodies in the recipient. Subsequent transfusions of blood positive for DEA 1.1, 1.2 may cause transfusion reactions such as hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria, thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, fever, emesis, incontinence, urticaria and weakness. "Cross-matching is not really necessary unless its the dog's second transfusion," remarked Hendrickson.

There may be deficiencies of multiple coagulation factors in liver disease since many factors are made in the liver. Vitamin K has no effect on these patients, so they may require replacement of FFP. Allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, fluid overload, and other problems can occur after plasma component transfusion. Hendrickson stressed that veterinarians should be aware of these hazards and maintain careful surveillance.

NEEDS. Hendrickson explained the need for her canine blood bank. "There is a flea and tick problem in Tulsa area. As a result, many dogs have a low blood count. People don't realize it and then one day their dog drops dead. The dogs get very weak and sick. We can give them a transfusion and it perks them right up." Units of red blood cells are ideal for combating flea and tick anemias.

Hendrickson said that approximately 200 veterinarians have used Vet-Pro's canine blood and plasma products since the lab initiated the service two years ago. "A lot of clinics or vets have donor dogs that they keep caged up. They'd rather use a commercial entity. Donors take up a lot of their cage space. It's not profitable for them to have a donor dog at their clinic so they use us."

She described another advantage of using the animals at her lab- all the dogs are personally owned by lab employees. "They're all personal pets, and they're all tested. You can't just get a dog off the streets," she stated. "It's better to use dogs that are typed and pampered."

Providing blood and plasma services aren’t the only way that Vet-Pro lends a helping hand to the canine community. Profits from the blood products are placed into a fund for Tulsa Boxer Rescue, a Tulsa- area organization that helps homeless Boxers find adequate care. Vet-Pro also conducts an array of chemical, hematological, and serological veterinary lab services including tests for heartworm, FeLV, EIA, Brucella, and more.