Your pet’s donation of blood can save the life of someone else’s pet. Please consider joining our blood donor program.
Blood Banks Exist for Dogs and Cats and They Save Lives!
Each year, thousands of animals’ lives are saved by blood donations. The need for blood products is just as important in veterinary medicine as it is in human medicine. Pets with traumatic injuries and some medical conditions may require blood transfusions, and as with humans, it’s important to match the blood type and species from which the blood is derived. Enrolling your healthy dog or cat in one of our blood donor programs can make a big difference to another pet in need. The blood donor program, eligibility requirements and associated benefits varies a little at each of our hospitals, please click on the hospital nearest to you for program details.
Donor Eligibility Qualifications:
In order to qualify for our blood donor program, all pets must be in good health, be current on all vaccines, and meet the following criteria. Variations to the requirements exist at each location, please click the links below for the hospital nearest you if you are interested in having your pet donate blood through one of our hospitals::
Canine Donors:
- Overall good health
- Between the ages of one and seven years
- A healthy weight of over 55 lbs
- Have a friendly disposition
- Receives monthly flea, tick and heartworm prevention
Feline Donors:
- Overall good health
- Between the ages of one and seven years
- A healthy weight of over 10 lbs
- Have a friendly disposition
- Indoor only
- Receives monthly flea prevention
Blood Bank Programs:
More information about the dog and cat blood donor programs at each of our veterinary hospitals is below. Click the links to learn more:
- Premier – Chicago, IL
- Premier – Grayslake, IL
- Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital, Wheat Ridge, CO
- Veterinary Specialty Hospital – North County, San Marco, CA
- Veterinary Specialty Hospital – Sorrento Valley, San Diego, CA
- Veterinary Emergency + Referral Center (VERC), Honolulu, HI
- WVRC – Waukesha, Waukesha, WI
Animals Donating Blood Really is a Thing!
Learn more about what it takes for your special pet to be a hero!
Drs. Krista Vernaleken and Lindsay Renzullo of Bulger Veterinary Hospital in Lawrence, MA recently discussed the subject of donating blood for dogs and cats in an episode of the PAWEDcast. More episodes, and the complete episode (which answers frequent pet owner questions) is available on our PAWEDcast landing page. The PAWEDcast is available on youtube, and where ever you listen to podcasts.