Dogs can help save lives, too
The Metro Animal Emergency Clinic (MAEC) called my home at 4 p.m. late last month.
They had a dog in distress that required a live blood donation so I raced to the clinic with my dog. The procedure took about 45 minutes and the clinic called to tell me how appreciative the other dog’s owners were that we were able to get there so quickly. I told them I was happy my best friend could save some else’s best friend, then I cried a little; happy tears of course.
The MAEC in Dartmouth has a blood donor program that has saved endless pets' lives. Donor dogs in the program must meet a few rigid requirements: they need to weigh at least 55lbs; be between two and seven years old; and most importantly, have a calm, friendly temperament.
If you are interested in participating, please get in touch with MAEC. The hospital will email you a questionnaire, a blood donor information sheet and they can answer all your questions. Below is a sample of the information provided by the clinic:
"The actual process of donating blood takes approximately 45 minutes – this includes the time it takes for the sedative to work (if required), the donation itself and then administration of IV fluids to replace the volume taken during the donation.
“If your dog meets the criteria set out for blood donation and you are willing to be a regular participant, then we may ask that your pet would provide up to three to four contributions/year. These donations would probably take place during a weekday. Specific emergencies require fresh whole blood. This means that it is very important to have donors available on an ‘as needed’ basis. This could mean being called during the early hours of the morning. It is not necessary to be available for 'as needed' collection to be a blood donor, but if you are willing to be on this (extremely important) 'on-call' list, please let us know."
Sheena, my blind dog, has donated blood twice so far. On both occasions the staff have commented on her sweet laid-back personality, which makes her the ideal candidate. Blood donor dogs must have an easy-going character so they can remain calm while blood is collected.
The clinic tries to keep one or two bags of blood in storage or on-hand, but because of COVID restrictions, blood storage is now limited to three weeks, decreased from the previous mandate of four weeks.
MAEC conducts life-saving work every day of the year. I know if my dog ever needs a life-saving blood donation, MAEC will find us someone's best friend to help us in our time on need.
Please be kind to animals.
Tracy Jessiman is a pet portrait artist who lives in Halifax with her husband and their three pets. She has been rescuing animals most of her life, but more intimately, animals rescued her.