This is gorgeous Teddy who gave blood at Southam last week to donate to help save the life of a very poorly anaemic kitten.
We sometimes see animals who require a blood transfusion to replace lost blood cells or volume, and usually these are emergency cases who require blood as soon as possible.
Finding a donor cat can be difficult. Unlike for humans and dogs there is no blood bank for cats as their blood is more difficult to store. This means we have to rely on generous owners of superstar donor cats to provide much needed blood in an emergency.
Not all cats are suitable to be donors- there are certain criteria to ensure that the transfusion is safe for both the donor and recipient.
Cats must be in good health, be between 1-8 years old and weight 4kg or more. Cats usually need to be given a light sedation to take the large blood sample needed, so they must be healthy. Before we perform a blood transfusion we must also ensure the cats share the same blood type.
Please give us a call to chat to one of our vets if you are interested in your cat becoming a life saving blood donor.
