“There’s no specific breed we’re looking for,” mentioned Dr. Valerie Latchford, the veterinarian and phlebotomist at Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank, a industrial blood financial institution in Virginia that depends totally on donations from pet canines. “We have everything from dogs that were picked up in shelters, a few of them in other countries, all the way up to like the top winning Spinone” — a shaggy, Italian breed — “of all time, show dogs, service dogs.”
One nonnegotiable: The canines should appear comfy with the employees and the course of, ready to stay relaxed for the roughly 5 minutes it requires to draw their blood. “They didn’t sign the forms to come in,” Dr. Latchford mentioned. “But they do get to have an opinion on whether they donate or not.”
The canine proprietor Beth Acker has seen that firsthand. Her former canine, Harley, a Bernese mountain canine who craved meals and a focus, spent six years as a Blue Ridge donor. To have his blood drawn, Harley lay on his aspect on a desk, spooning with the blood financial institution’s designated “dog snuggler” whereas being hand-fed cheese and peanut butter. “He loved it immediately,” Ms. Acker mentioned. “I was really proud of him.”
Harley finally donated almost 4 gallons of blood; in the closing years of his life, Harley wanted a transfusion himself, bringing the expertise full circle.
On the different hand, Ms. Acker’s coonhound-black Lab combine, Pancho, didn’t appear comfy giving blood himself, although he tagged alongside on Harley’s appointments “to share the awesome treats,” Ms. Acker mentioned.
Nine lives
Cats have a tendency to make for trickier donors. “They don’t just jump on the table and lay down,” mentioned Ms. Reinauer of DoveLewis. Feline blood donations usually require sedation, which isn’t a risk-free process. For that motive, DoveLewis makes use of solely cats owned by individuals who work in the veterinary occupation. Ms. Reinauer’s cat Apollo, a sturdy Maine coon, is a donor.
