Dog makes 25th blood donation

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This article was published 22/11/2019 (2174 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bosu is a very brave dog.

Thursday marked the 25th time the eight-year-old black pit bull-lab cross donated blood for the Canadian Animal Blood Bank.

Lying with his head on a red pillow, he lay very still as Michael Philippot, a lab co-ordinator for the Manitoba arm of the organization, swabbed a patch of fur and stuck a needle into a vein on his neck. Beth Knight, the lab director of the blood bank, held his back legs and torso still.

“Somebody has to donate the blood. If in advance, especially if it’s elective surgery, it’s great … but at the same time, if disaster strikes and you’re setting up for surgery maybe you might know ‘Hey, William is a blood donor, Bosu is a blood donor,’ you can call them in and they can be an emergency donor,” Knight said.

The process only takes a few minutes and at the end, the blood bank has a bag of blood that could help save another pet’s life.

Animals need blood for much the same reasons as people, Knight said. During surgery, either elective or emergency, dogs lose blood, too.

Tiffany Green, one of Bosu’s owners, said he first started donating blood when he was one year old. He broke an elbow when he was young, which she said helped get him used to veterinarians.

Now, he loves coming, as he’s bribed with liver treats.

A dog can donate up to 450 millilitres of blood during a donation, Knight said. The bag sits on a weight scale, but dogs instinctively start licking their lips when their body realizes it’s losing a significant amount.

Donated blood gets shipped around the country, wherever it’s needed, Knight said. Bosu’s blood will likely be shipped out on Monday, after it’s checked for any diseases.

The Canadian Animal Blood Bank makes monthly trips to Brandon. It cycles between Brandon Hills Veterinary Clinic, the Grand Valley Animal Clinic and the Brandon Animal Clinic.

There is a huge need for dog blood — in the past two weeks, Knight said she shipped out more than 50 units of blood. At the clinic on Thursday afternoon, Vega, a three-year-old dog, was also giving blood. Vega also arrived with sisters Tiffany and Tara Green.

Only certain dogs can donate blood. They have to weigh more than 55 pounds, be up to date on their shots and medication and be able to sit still while donating. Knight said any owner who thinks their dog is “sweet enough” should talk to their vet about signing up.

At 25, Bosu is almost at the record for the highest number of donations, Knight said. The most she said she has seen is 33 blood donations, but that dog aged out of the program at 11 years old.

After the donation, dogs get a special tag depending on how many times they’ve donated. Buso got a silver tag with a red gem in it. He has already collected the others: a bronze tag for five donations, silver for 10, gold for 15 and bronze with a gem for 20.

Dogs who donate get free blood for their lifetime. It’s important to sign up if possible, Knight said, as you never know when your own furry friend might be in need.

“One day it might be your pet. One day it might be your friend’s pet.”

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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