What if you could give a dying cat one more life — another chance?
Well, it’s possible with the “People and Pets Blood Drive” coming up on Thursday, July 26. From 1 to 3:30 p.m. at ACCES (Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services) in Renton, cats, dogs and their owners can donate blood.
The Puget Sound Blood Center and ACCES have teamed up to make something very special and life changing possible.
ACCES partnered with PSBC because “the Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC) is a recognized leader in the field of transfusion medicine and currently serves human patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics throughout Western Washington,” said ACCES Blood Bank Director Heather Montgomery in an e-mail. “With its strong ties to the community, the ACCES Blood Bank felt PSBC would be an ideal partner for this unique event.”
“This is kind of an unusual partnership for us, but certainly one that we are delighted to be involved in with them,” said David Larsen, Director of Communications/Media at the Puget Sound Blood Center.
“It’s great because it’s bringing public awareness and education about transfusions,” Larsen stated over the phone.
The blood donated by pets will go to other pets such as Sophie, who required a blood transfusion in order to save her life. Sophie, 2-year-old Labradoodle, had eaten 1 to 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder two days prior, and approximately half a cup of 100 percent xylitol baking sweetener a day prior to her close call at ACCES. High amounts of either cocoa or xylitol can be fatal for dogs.
“She was triaged to the ICU and initial bloodwork revealed that she had critically elevated liver values, low potassium, and her coagulation profile was out of range,” stated Montgomery, “meaning she could not form clots.”
Thanks to the generous, life-saving gift from two dog donors Araya and Damarco, Sophie began eating on her own once the transfusion was complete. After three days, she had improved markedly and could go home. A month later, Sophie’s bloodwork revealed that she needed no further checkups or treatments. She is now healthy and at home.
In order to be eligible to donate, dogs must be over 50 pounds and between 1 to 6 years of age. They must be healthy, good-natured and current on their vaccines. Cats must be at least 10 pounds, 1 to 6 years old, live indoors and be up-to-date on their vaccines.
The standard blood withdrawal for dogs is 1 pint; for cats, 2 ounces.
After meeting criteria and at no cost to the owner, pets will be tested for infectious diseases in accordance with consensus statement guidelines for blood donors by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).
ACCES Blood Bank will ask your pet donor to commit to donating once every two to three months for three years. And if needed, active and retired donors are eligible for one free blood transfusion from ACCES.
Montgomery of ACCES says, “We are excited to partner with the PSBC on this unique event and encourage people to sign-up in advance to donate blood.”
“Our goal is to bring together engaged pet owners and help educate the larger community on the ongoing need for blood donations for pets and people alike,” she added.
TIPS FOR DONATION
Donor cats and dogs should be well hydrated and on a good-quality diet. It is also important not to overfeed your pet. Pets should not eat a large meal before making a donation.
ACCES Renton
ACCES Renton is located at 4208 Lind Ave. S.W., Renton. For more information, or to sign up a pet to be tested, visit http://www.psbc.org/programs/drive.asp?URL=0029, email bloodbank@criticalcarevets.com or call 206-364-1660.
Puget Sound Blood Center
For more information about human blood donation, contact the Puget Sound Blood Center, 800-398-7888 or visit www.psbc.org.
Alice Hanh is a student in the University of Washington Dept. of Communication News Laboratory.
