Blood Shortage for Critically Ill Pets

North America has an ongoing critical shortage of animal blood for veterinary use because demand for blood products continues to climb as clinics perform more and more sophisticated procedures.  Dogs, cats or other animals are prescribed transfusion therapy as part of their recovery program after a trauma, surgery or disease.  It’s become increasingly difficult for them to get the blood products they need.

            Hemopet/Pet Life-Line (www.hemopet.org) animal blood bank in Garden Grove, Calif., the country's largest nonprofit animal blood supplier, ships around 1,200 units a month to 2,000 clinics throughout the United States and Canada. 

            “Requests for blood often surpass the supply,” says W. Jean Dodds, DVM, founder and president of Hemopet/Pet Life-Line, “Our blood bank frequently has a two-week waiting period for dog plasma.”

            Hemopet ships blood and blood products to clinics throughout North America and overseas, often on a moment's notice, so doctors can perform emergency surgery when a dog is injured through an accident or abuse.  In addition, centers in major cities throughout North America serve as repositories to stock blood products for their community.

            Through its Hemolife division, the organization provides laboratory diagnostic work and unique expert interpretation of blood data for all pets to more than 5,000 clients.  Requests for high quality laboratory diagnostic work and this expert interpretation are also on the increase resulting in heavy workloads and the need for a larger laboratory.

            Due to advances in veterinary medicine, pet owners are increasingly willing to spend large sums on their family pets, which has caused the nationwide shortage of blood and diagnostic capabilities.

            Hemopet/Pet Life-Line is working on alleviating the crisis by raising funds to build an expanded blood bank facility that would include the nation’s first “wholistic” pet healthcare facility for rescued greyhounds on two-and-a-half acres in Garden Grove.  Upon completion, this new facility will feature unique group apartment-style units for the rescued greyhounds with outdoor exercise yards and playgrounds.