Hero Dog Saved Many Lives with Her Blood Donations—Now She Needs a Family to Save HER!
Jeanie, an American Bulldog has saved the lives of many dogs, but she now needs to be saved herself by getting adopted. Residing currently at Peggy Adams Animal Rescue, the 3-year-old female dog is nothing short of a hero.
Whenever the Florida-based rescue needs to save the life of a dog who needs blood, it’s Jeanie who comes to the rescue and donates her blood. In fact, she has become the rescue’s go-to canine blood donor.
Jeanie Donates Blood In Stride
Jeanie, the beautiful dog with a brown and white coat is extremely courageous as she doesn’t need to be sedated anymore to donate blood. In a recent video posted by the rescue on TikTok, the rescue staff can be seen giving the dog plenty of spray cheese while the vet techs take her blood.
One incident of Jeanie’s heroic efforts was when a 2-month-old puppy called Troy arrived at the rescue with severe anemia. He needed a blood transfusion to survive and Jeanie bravely gave her blood to save the pup.
According to the rescue staff, they promised two things to Jeanie in return for her blood donations: spray cheese and a forever home. Sadly, they have been only able to deliver one of those two things.
Can You Give Jeanie The Love She Deserves?
Jeanie is the longest resident at the rescue and after saving so many canine lives, she deserves someone to save her and give her a life full of love and care. Lover of kids and dogs, she will be a perfect addition to anyone’s home.
Additionally, Jeanie loves snuggles, going on car rides, playing in the water, and walking. She needs to engage in regular physical and mentally stimulating activities to be the perfect doggo that she is.
If you’re interested in Jeanie, know that she is a Dolly’s Dream dog, which means her adoption fee has been paid and you don’t have to pay a dime to take this sweet girl home. Dolly’s Dream is a project aimed at promoting the adoption of bully breed dogs and dispelling the harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that still surround them.
This means Jeanie will go to her forever home with no adoption fee, along with free spaying, microchipping, vaccinations, a week of free training sessions, and a bundle of goodies, including a leash, collar, harness, food bowl, and more.
Can Dogs Donate Blood?
As per Dr. Aja Senestraro, a holistic veterinarian, “Dogs suffering from severe blood loss or blood diseases can receive blood transfusions from another healthy dog to help them recover.” So, the answer to the question of whether dogs can donate blood is yes, blood transfusion for dogs is possible.
According to the Animal Emergency Service in Australia, “The first successful recorded blood donation was not human-to-human but was in fact dog-to-dog. In 1665 the first successful blood transfusion between two dogs was performed by Richard Lower, before the first successful human-to-human transfusion.”
How Does The Dog Blood Transfusion Take Place?
Dr. Senestraro gives a step-by-step guide on blood transfusion in dogs:
Step 1: Sourcing the Blood
Veterinarians have two options to find a suitable blood match for your dog:
- In-house Donor: They can collect blood from a healthy dog donor.
- Pet Blood Bank: They can contact a national or local pet blood bank to request blood.
Step 2: Ensuring Blood Type Match
“The blood types of both dogs must be matched before the transfusion,” says Dr. Senestraro.
The Testing Process
- Initial Testing: The vet collects blood samples from both dogs.
- Compatibility Check: The recipient dog’s blood is tested for an immune response to the donor dog’s blood, and vice versa.
- Blood Typing: Both dogs are typed for DEA 1 (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen 1) to determine whether they are positive or negative.
- Crossmatching: Additional tests are run to ensure compatibility and prevent any potential allergic reactions.
Step 3: The Blood Transfusion Process
Dr. Senestraro asserts, “Whether it’s going to a blood bank or directly to a waiting dog, the blood is collected and kept in special bags that keep the blood from clotting.”
Transfusion Procedure
- IV Connection: The blood bag is attached to an IV fluid line with a built-in filter.
- Administration: The blood is transfused directly into the vein through the IV catheter.
- Dosage and Monitoring: The transfusion dose is tailored to the dog’s size and blood loss, administered over a set time period, with close monitoring for any signs of allergic reactions.
Frequency of Transfusions
- Single Transfusion: Often sufficient for recovery in many health issues.
- Repeated Transfusions: Necessary for diseases with ongoing blood loss or cell destruction.
Dr. Senestraro further adds, “Fortunately, most dogs never need a blood transfusion, but for those that do, it can be lifesaving.”
Dog Blood Transfusion Cost
A veterinarian, Dr. Lina Simon, claims, “Units of blood for transfusion can cost $100 – $300 each.” The required amount of blood determines the total cost of the dog blood donation procedure.
In cases where multiple transfusions are necessary during a hospital stay, the total cost of treatment can be substantial, reaching up to $1,000. On the other hand, if only a small amount of blood is required to replace the lost blood due to surgery, the cost is significantly lower, around $200 for one to two units of blood.
