Blood transfusions are not only an exclusive human need, dogs and cats may also need them in particular situations. Those of us who have the opportunity to spend time on social media will surely have noticed the presence of several announcements of desperate owners and veterinary clinics that require urgent blood donations for hospitalized animals. Precisely in the face of these increasingly numerous requests, but also in view of the growing difficulty in finding blood for transfusions at the time of need, the first database of donor dogs was developed.
The DbD - Dog Blood Donors, this is the name of the database, is financed by the "Almore Fund" social fund of the famous Almo Nature brand and sponsored by the National Association of Italian Veterinarians and by the National Federation of the Italian Veterinary Order.
The service has been active since the 1st of October 2014 and allows all dog owners to register their four-legged friend in the database, so vets can use them in case of need or to help less fortunate dogs.
Veterinarians who want to join the service can do so comfortably by registering on the DbD website, in order to make their facility visible throughout Italy, becoming easily contacted by all interested owners.
Registered veterinarians will be able to carry out the classification of the blood group of four-legged patients for free. The entire amount, including sampling and laboratory tests, will be fully supported by the "Almore Fund" foundation.
Owners, on the other hand, will be able to request registration of their dog in the database directly online, by entering a series of data to assess the animal's actual suitability for blood donations.
Once the main characteristics have been ascertained, owners will be contacted to carry out blood sampling and blood group classification by one of the veterinarians enrolled in the service. The veterinarian will complete the registration by communicating the data relating to the blood group of the animal.
Dogs registered in the database can be contacted when needed to help other compatible four-legged dogs, and at the same time, they can consult the list of members in case of need themselves.
When a dog in need calls, the owners will be able to decide whether or not to consent the collection of blood for transfusions from their dog, based on the needs of the moment, the commitments and their will. The transfusion, in fact, is not taxable in any way, but remains totally voluntary.
The cost of the transfusion will also be covered by the foundation up to a maximum of € 150.00, equivalent to the average value of a blood bag.
For more information, visit the official Dog Blood Donors website.