Small Animal Blood Bank
General Information About Transfusion Medicine in Dogs & Cats
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What are blood types of dogs?
Dogs have 6 major blood types and a universal donor is DEA 1.1, 1.2 and 7 - and DEA 4 +
DEA 1.1 + 42% of population
DEA 1.2 + 20% of population
DEA 3 + 6% of population
DEA 4 + 98% of population
DEA 5 + 23% of population
DEA 7 + 45% of population -
What are blood types of cats?
Cats have 3 blood types: Type A, Type B and Type AB (rare). There is no universal feline donor. Most cats in this country are Type A. Certain "exotic" breeds are frequently Type B .
Cat Breeds -
How is blood collected from a dog?
Donating blood takes only 15-25 minutes and may require sedation. Dogs donate either on their side or lying down. Blood is collected from the jugular vein, which is the large vein in the neck. It is recommended that dogs be fasted before giving blood. -
How is blood collected from a cat?
Cats are usually sedated with either inhalant (gas) anesthesia or an injectable IV sedative just prior to donating. Cats are usually laid on their backs or side during the donation. Blood is collected from the jugular vein, which is the large vein in the neck. It is recommended that cats be fasted before giving blood. -
How much blood can be taken from a cat and dog?
Dogs generally donate 450 ml (~ 16 oz) of blood. About 55 ml (~ 2 oz) of blood can be collected from most cats.
When whole blood is collected from donors it is frequently separated into at least two components. It is separated into packed Red Blood Cells (pRBCs) and plasma. PRBCs are used to treat anemic animals. Units can be stored for up to 30 days. The plasma is frozen immediately and this product is called fresh frozen plasma. It can be stored frozen for one year and is used to treat animals with clotting disorders.