Establishment of a canine blood bank at a German University Veterinary Hospital

Blood transfusions represent a life-saving treatment option of anemic and b leeding dogs. At most clinics, blood has generally been collected immediate ly prior to transfusing an animal in need. We describe here the establishme nt and experience with a canine blood bank at Berlin's University Veterinar y Hospital based on human blood banking techniques and a volunteer canine b lood donor program at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylv ania. Healthy dogs owned by the university staff, veterinary students, and hospit al clients were recruited as volunteers. These pets were regularly vaccinat ed and did not receive any medication or previous transfusion. Blood donors were examined prior to donation and DEA 1.1 blood typing, a complete blood cell count and chemistry screen, as well as, where indicated, Ehrlichia, B abesia, Leishmania, and Dirofilaria tests were performed. Maximally, 10 ml blood per kg body weight were collected by gravity in a closed blood bag co llection system containing CPDA-1 or CPD+Adsol; packed red blood cells (PRB Cs) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) were separated by centrifugation. PRBCs w ere stored at 4-6 degrees C for maximally 20 (CPDA-1) or 30 (CPD+Adsol) day s and FFP was kept frozen at -30 degrees C for up to one year. The various biochemical and hematological parameters measured at day 0, 20, 37 of stora ge or at the day of transfusion of 40 PRBC bags tested as well as microbiol ogical analysis of 122 PRBC samples assured the quality of the blood compon ents. During the two year observation period (until October 1998), a total of 224 blood donations from 149 dogs were performed, and 348 units were transfuse d to 174 dogs including 49 whole blood (WB) transfusions, 137 PRBCs, and 16 1 FFP units as well as one unit of platelet-rich plasma. DEA 1.1 negative d ogs only received DEA 1.1 negative blood. Before 53 second or subsequent tr ansfusions a blood crossmatch was performed and the major crossmatch was in compatible in 7 cases. WE or pRBCs were transfused because of hemorrhage (6 5 dogs), hemolysis (22), and ineffective erythropoiesis (14). WE was only g iven to anemic small dogs with thrombocytopenia or coagulopathy or dogs req uiring < 150 ml blood. FFP was administered to dogs with parvovirosis (40), coagulopathy (25), chronic gastroenteropathy (13) and other causes (18). N early one third of all transfusions were given at night or on weekends, whe re donor recruitment and collection would have been very difficult. Mild ac ute transfusion reactions were observed in 1.7 % of all transfusions. In su mmary, the establishment of a voluntary donor program and blood bank proced ures can improve availability of safe and efficacious specific blood compon ents for dogs.