Pints for Pups

How dog blood transfusions work

Blood types in dogs, what's in a unit of blood, cross-matching, transfusion reactions, and how donors are screened to keep recipients safe.

Dog blood types

Dogs have more than a dozen red cell antigens, grouped as DEA (dog erythrocyte antigen) 1 through 8 plus newer ones such as Dal.1 DEA 1 is the one that matters most: a DEA 1 negative dog given DEA 1 positive blood makes antibodies and can have a severe reaction the next time. DEA 1 negative dogs are called universal donors because their cells can go to almost any dog. Unlike people, dogs are not born with antibodies against other types, so a first transfusion of unmatched blood is usually tolerated; every transfusion after that needs typing and a cross-match.2

What's in a unit

Packed red blood cellsFor anemia: IMHA, bleeding, cancer. Stored refrigerated for weeks.
Fresh frozen plasmaClotting factors and proteins: rat poison, liver failure, clotting disorders. Frozen for a year.
CryoprecipitateConcentrated von Willebrand factor and factor VIII.
Fresh whole bloodEverything at once, including platelets. Must be used within hours.

One donation of about 450 ml is usually split into red cells and plasma, so a single donor can treat two or more patients. That is where "one donation saves up to four dogs" comes from.

Keeping it safe

Donors are screened for blood-borne infections such as Babesia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Bartonella and Leishmania, with tests chosen by region; the ACVIM consensus lists which ones.3 Recipients are monitored during the transfusion for reactions: fever, vomiting, hives, or, rarely, acute hemolysis. A 2021 consensus from the Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine defines and grades these reactions4 and how to prevent and treat them.5 Most reactions are mild; with typing and cross-matching, serious ones are rare.

Why there's a shortage

There is no national veterinary blood service in the US. Supply comes from a few commercial blood banks, vet school programs and hospitals with their own volunteer donors. Products back-order for weeks during summer and holidays. Every dog on a donor list is a unit that doesn't have to be shipped overnight.

How you can help

Dogs with these conditions survive because another dog's owner signed up. Check in one minute if your dog can donate, find a blood bank near you, or join the pack and share this page.

Research and references

Peer-reviewed sources for what's on this page. Each link runs a PubMed search for the paper so you land on the abstract, and often the full text.

  1. 1
    Blais MC, Berman L, Oakley DA, Giger U. Canine Dal blood type: a red cell antigen lacking in some Dalmatians J Vet Intern Med. 2007;21(2):281-286. PubMed
  2. 2
    Tocci LJ, Ewing PJ. Increasing patient safety in veterinary transfusion medicine: an overview of pretransfusion testing J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2009;19(1):66-73. PubMed
  3. 3
    Wardrop KJ, Birkenheuer A, Blais MC, et al. Update on canine and feline blood donor screening for blood-borne pathogens J Vet Intern Med. 2016;30(1):15-35. PubMed
  4. 4
    Davidow EB, Blois SL, Goy-Thollot I, et al. Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM) Transfusion Reaction Small Animal Consensus Statement (TRACS) Part 1: Definitions and clinical signs J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2021;31(2):141-166. PubMed
  5. 5
    Davidow EB, Blois SL, Goy-Thollot I, et al. Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (AVHTM) Transfusion Reaction Small Animal Consensus Statement (TRACS) Part 2: Prevention and treatment J Vet Emerg Crit Care. 2021;31(2):167-188. PubMed

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