Love all... Serve all....

Jasmine, Luke and Sandy are volunteer blood donors. They have saved the lives of a dozen dogs already! Plus, as regular blood donors, they are automatically qualified for a blood transfusion should they need it. They also get free exams, free blood work and lots of yummy treats!

In case you didn't know, most greyhounds have a universal blood "type" that can be given to all dogs. Greyhound blood is very sought after! When the kids give blood, it is immediately dispatched all across the country to dogs in need. Just like human blood, dog blood can be given whole or broken down in to several components for whatever purpose is needed. The hounds can give blood every 5 weeks if required. we usually go about every 6 or 7 but will go in if there is a shortage or need. The blood blank loves that we have 3 greyhounds giving at one time!

I thought I would document a typical blood donation here for those that are curious, are thinking about it or just don't know anything about the procedure. The whole process actually only takes about 10-15 mins per dog. Some blood banks will even come to you if you set up a time for a large group at your house or something!

During the very first visit, the vet will take blood samples to type your dog and just generally get the dog familiar with the procedure. Since this is a volunteer thing, the dog must agree to lay calmly in the position required. They will not restrain a dog or give them any sedation meds to calm them. You will see the pics below of the vet assistant laying with the hounds and "holding them down." He is not restraining them at all, he is merely making sure they are still as possible for the procedure. if at any time the dog would start to resist and try to get up off the table, they would stop the procedure. Jasmine, Luke and Sandy all did wonderful in laying still throughout the procedure and doing whatever the vet asked of them. It was really great to see! The vet loves greyhounds as they are usually the easiest to deal with!

Here is Luke, Sandy and Jasmine demonstrating a typical donation session:

The vet will bring the dog in to the donation room and try to get the dog as comfortable as possible. She will give treats, pet them, etc, until she feels they are comfortable.

Once they are comfortable, the vet and the assistant will pick the dog up and place them on the donation table. This is the point where the start to judge if the dog is agreeable to the procedure.

If there is no struggle at this point, they will continue. The assistant then lays down with the dog to ensure they stay in position. When he lays his legs across the dog, they wait a few mins to see if there is any resistance. If the dog appears calm and still, they will continue.

The vet then shaves a little spot on the neck, sanitizes it with alcohol and inserts the needle.

The blood then flows in the same type of bag as in human blood donation. They usually take one unit of blood depending on weight. Jasmine is so tiny they only take 1/2 unit from her but Luke and Sandy are able to give a full unit.

Your dog can see you the whole time if you need them too. Luke and Sandy appeared to do fine when I was out of sight, but Jasmine started to whine. So for her I stayed right in front of her so she could see me. That is why I don't have many pictures of her. =)

After the procedure, they carefully take the dogs off the table and wrap their neck just in case there is any lingering bleeding. They also get lots more treats!!

Here they all are with the vet after their donation! The vet will explain any concerns and what to watch for over the next few hours. No hard running or other strenuous activity. I always laugh at the because I have never seen my dogs do anything remotely strenuous!

That's all there is to it! We are usually in and out within an hour! The hounds do great every time and I am proud of how good they are through it all!

For anyone considering blood donation with their dog I would HIGHLY recommend it! Blood donation is a great way to help other dogs and one day it could be your dog that is in need! Its quick, simple and virtually painless for the dogs. And they get a free exam each visit and free blood work once or twice a year! (depending on the bank) Ask your veterinarian for the blood bank nearest to you!!