Blood Donor Program
Canberra Veterinary Emergency Service is proud to announce that we are building our emergency on-call blood donor program to provide lifesaving blood to pets in need. If you think that your pet could be an CVES Blood Donor Hero and save a life, please let us know!
The program has been hugely successful so far with local wonderful heroes volunteering to save lives!
Could your pet save a life? Are they:
Dogs
- Over 27kg
- Between 2-7 years of age
- Healthy
- Up to date with vaccines, deworming and heart worm prevention
- Have a cooperative temperament
Cats
- Over 4.5kg
- Between 2-7 years of age
- Healthy
- Up to date with vaccines and deworming
- FIV tested and/or vaccinated
- Have a cooperative temperament
If so, then yes! They too can be a CVES Blood Donor Hero!
Before donating, to ensure that pets fulfill the criteria to be blood donors, all pets will:
- Have a full physical examination performed by one of our experienced Emergency vets.
- Have their blood typed (to make sure that they can donate) and blood test done to make sure they are healthy.
What does donating entail?
Pets are only asked to donate once per 6 months and are on an on-call basis.
- You will receive a phone call or text message asking if you are available for your pet to come in and donate.
- Upon arrival your pet will be admitted to Hospital by one of our experienced Veterinary Nurses. You are welcome to stay with your pet for the collection process if you would like!
- Your pet receives a full physical examination and a blood sample is taken to confirm that they are fit and healthy and ready to donate.
- Your pet will then receive a light sedation to relax them through the process. The veterinary team will then collect the donation. Your pet will receive IV fluids to replace the amount of blood taken and help them to recover from the sedation.
- Once your pet has recovered, they will receive a hearty meal. After they have eaten, they are free to go home in your care.
- We will send you home with a free bag of premium food as a thank you for your generosity and kindness!
Unfortunately, unlike humans, our beloved pets don’t know what a wonderful service they are providing by donating, but as a token of our appreciation, we would also like to offer:
- A discount should they ever (we hope that they do not!) need Emergency Veterinary care themselves.
Your pet’s contribution as part of the donor program is invaluable so we hope to say thank you in many ways.
If you think that your pet could be a CVES Blood Donor Hero, please register your interest by completing the cat or dog form below and we will be in contact shortly with more information.
Thank you for reading this article! Even if your pet may not fit the criteria, please share it with any friends who you think might have pets that will! You never know when your best friend may need the gift of life…