Our Blood Bank Service

WILSON VETERINARY BLOOD BANK

At Wilson Vet Hospital, we keep whole blood and plasma on hand for our canine and feline patients. The blood bank was created to support the needs of our 24 hospital, as well as our satellite clinics. As our clinics have grown over the years, so has the need for blood products. Patients need transfusions for several reasons, including (but not limited to):

Trauma
Bleeding disorders
Rat poison ingestion
Internal bleeding
Autoimmune disease
Septicemia
Low blood proteins
Parvovirus

Dogs have 14 different blood types, and some blood types are more universal than others. Blood types are genetic, so certain breeds tend to have the same blood type. Mixed breeds can inherit the blood type of either parent. All of our regular donors at WVH are the more universal blood type. Our blood bank is made up of volunteer donors, both client and employee pets.

As with human blood banks, we are often looking for healthy donors. Some breeds have consistently typed to be a non-universal breeds (Labs, Pointers, Great Danes and Retrievers to name a few), so are not eligible for our program. Other breeds have physiological issues which make them unsuitable as donors (for example: Bulldogs, Shar-pei’s, & Bassett Hounds.) Any dog with a potentially serious medical condition would also be ineligible.

You can see some of our “Gallon Group” – dogs who have donated at least 1 gallon of blood over the years – in our donor pics.

Our most common donor breeds are:

Greyhounds
Boxers
German Shepherds
Coonhounds
Pitbulls

We also have a few mixed breed dogs and a Presa Canario dog among our loyal and much loved donors.

Maybe your pet can save a life!'

(click to see how)