An Oxfordshire vet practice has issued an appeal for dog owners to sign their pets up to be potentially life-saving blood donors.
Boundary Vets in Oxford Road, Abingdon, is making the plea ahead of hosting a dog blood donor session at its surgery in partnership with the national charity Pet Blood Bank (PBB) UK next Sunday (September 11).
The Oxfordshire vet practice, which is part of Linnaeus, is one of many surgeries across the country which receives often life-saving blood and plasma from PBB.
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Every unit of blood a dog donates can help save the lives of up to four other dogs around the UK.
Owners of breeds which have negative blood, in particular, are being encouraged to think about signing their pets up as levels of this blood type are extremely low.
Breed that are more likely to have negative blood include Dobermans, greyhounds, boxers, German Shepherds, lurchers and flat coated retrievers.
Jemma, who has donated 21 pints of blood
One dog, a Labrador called Jemma, has donated 21 units of blood since signing up five years ago.
Her owner Viv Cadge said: “I would like to think if Jemma ever needed a transfusion that, thanks to dogs like her, the blood would be readily available to vets.
“Secondly, every time Jemma donates, she gets a full health check from the team at Boundary which could potentially pick something up that requires further investigation and treatment.
“Jemma enjoys all the fuss and treats she gets and, even during the height of Covid-19 when I couldn’t stay with her, she had absolutely no problem donating, which is a testament to the teams at Boundary and the PBB.”
Nicole Osborne, from Pet Blood Bank, said: “Jemma is the loveliest girl and such a fabulous donor.
“With the support of her owner, Viv, she has helped save the lives of up to 92 other dogs, which is incredible. It just shows what a difference being a blood donor can make, it really is life-saving.
“Demand for blood continues to grow and we need to ensure we always have enough available for dogs in need. If you think your dog could be a lifesaver like Jemma, we’d love to hear from you.”
To be a blood donor, dogs must be:
- Fit and healthy
- Aged between one and eight years old
- Weigh more than 25kg
- Confident and enjoy meeting new people
If you think your dog could be a donor at the event at Boundary Vets on Sunday, September 11, call 01509 232 222 to register or visit www.petbloodbankuk.org.
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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