Veterinary project makes nationwide appeal for cat, dog blood donors

A Portuguese veterinary medicine project has launched a nationwide appeal today for animal blood donations – an initiative aimed at “reversing the critical shortage of veterinary blood affecting thousands of dogs and cats across the country”.

According to a statement from OneBlood Science Care – a project dedicated to the development of veterinary transfusion medicine in Portugal – the appeal aims to raise public awareness and encourage animal blood donation.

OneBlood Science Care’s medical teams are already operating in the country, “ensuring that they have coverage and an immediate response capacity in the northern and southern regions of the country”.

According to the press release, the project “offers free screenings and health check-ups for dogs and cats”.

Raising awareness among pet owners “regarding the feasibility and safety of the donation process remains one of the main opportunities to maintain stable reserves”, says the text.

Pet owners interested in registering their pets or obtaining further information on whether their dogs and cats are eligible (such as minimum age and weight requirements) can do so directly via the organisation’s official website.

OneBlood Science Care also notes that it works in partnership with veterinary blood banks, acting as a driving force for recruitment and awareness-raising that brings this practice closer to the approach already seen in human blood donation.

Previously, veterinary clinics requiring blood have tended to have to contact clients with ‘possible donor animals’, offering ‘benefits’ like free vaccinations, or treatments. The boon of this initiative, is that it screens for specific diseases before taking the animal’s blood, and is doing so without the pressure of an emergency.

Source: LUSA

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.