H&C

14
Oct
2009

2 Comments

Could your dog be a lifesaver?

Lurcher puppy Lester recovers after his transfusion

H&C has learnt that there is a desperate need for canine blood in the UK. Can you help?

Thousands of dogs are injured each year and need a blood transfusion to save their lives. Pet Blood Bank UK, a pet blood charity, is running critically low on supplies of type negative blood. If your dog is one of the breeds listed below, it is likely that he is type negative and could help a dog in desperate need by giving blood.

Is your dog one of the following breeds?
Airedale
German Shepherd
American Bulldog
Greyhound
Boxer
Lurcher
Doberman
Mastiff
English Bull Terrier
Pointer
Flat Coated Retriever
Weimeraner

If so, please call now on 01509 232 222 and register your dog as a canine life saver. Your call could mean the difference between life and death for a much loved pet.

Pet Blood Bank UK provides blood for transfusions to vet surgeries nationwide, helping to save the lives of thousands of dogs each year; dogs like Lester, a three month old Lurcher puppy who was badly injured in a road traffic accident.

Lester was taken to his local Vets Now emergency clinic in deep shock, suffering from such severe internal bruising that he needed an instant transfusion to save his life. He recovered amazingly quickly from his ordeal, but had there not been a supply of negative blood available at the time of his accident, it is very possible that Lester would have died that day.

His owner Greg Wilkinson said: “It’s an awful thing to happen to any owner, but when it happens to such a young puppy, it’s even more distressing. He was in such a terrible state that we were faced with the very real possibility that we were going to lose him, so when our vet suggested a blood transfusion we jumped at the chance. We hadn’t heard of Pet Blood Bank UK before, so it was a huge relief to find that there was a charity organisation dedicated to providing blood for emergency transfusions. Lester can’t be a donor now that he has received a transfusion, but if it were possible, we would be first in the queue to help other dogs in his situation.”

If your dog fits the criteria below and could provide Pet Blood Bank UK with urgently needed negative blood, contact Pet Blood Bank UK on 01509 232 222, or visit the website at the link below.

Criteria for becoming a canine blood donor NOW:
One of the breeds highlighted
Donors should have a good temperament
Be aged between one and eight years old
Weigh more than 25 kilos (55lbs)
Should not have travelled abroad
Should be up-to-date on all vaccinations
Should be fit and healthy and not receiving medication apart from wormers/flea treatments