Blood Donor

Your dog could be a lifesaver

Here at Westmorland Vets we sometimes need Blood from a donor dog to help save the life of another poorly dog.
Unlike human blood canine blood is tricky to store so it is helpful if we have dogs available to call upon if an emergency arises.

Our donor criteria:

For your dog to be a blood donor, they must meet certain criteria. Your dog’s welfare is always our priority and so for them to become a lifesaver, they must be:

  • Fit and healthy
  • Between one and eight years old
  • Weigh more than 25kg
  • Have a good temperament
  • Have never travelled outside of the UK and Ireland
  • Not on any medication
  • Vaccinated or have an annual titre test after the first year booster*

What type of dog makes a good donor?

In addition to meeting our donor criteria, we are looking for dogs who are confident and happy being handled. They should enjoy meeting new people and be comfortable going to the vets. Your dog needs to be willing and happy to take part in the donation process and show us this through their behaviour. We want your dog to love coming to see us, to enjoy being a donor, and be enthusiastic about the process. This is why confident dogs who like meeting new people and getting attention make excellent donors.

Dogs that are energetic and full of beans are very welcome. As long as they have a reasonable level of obedience and are confident, they usually go on to become great donors. Dogs like this often surprise their owners by being able to lie still for the donation.

If your dog is anxious or nervous, wary of new people, or fearful at the vets, we would encourage you to support us in other ways. Dogs like this may find the donation process stressful. The welfare of your dog always comes first.

If you think your dog could be a life saver please come for a free nurse health check and chat. Contact your nearest surgery to make an appointment.