Emergency In-House Blood Collection in Dogs and Cats (Only If Necessary)

Key takeaways

• Collect only when delay for banked blood threatens life and a suitable donor exists.
• Donor welfare is equal to recipient welfare — screen, sedate appropriately, monitor, and limit volume.
• Use closed collection systems designed for blood; asepsis is non-negotiable.
• Type (and cross-match as indicated) before connecting to the recipient.
• Have a written clinic SOP and crash plan before you ever need it at 2 a.m.

Before you stick a donor

1. Confirm true emergency indication and lack of timely banked product.
2. Select donor: healthy, vaccinated/preventive history known, adequate weight/PCV/TS, no meds that preclude donation, temperament acceptable.
3. Run minimum clinicopath screening available (at least PCV/TS; broader panels if time).
4. Type donor and recipient; cross-match when required.
5. Prepare collection bag/set, scale, sedation plan, monitoring, and recipient line separately.

Canine emergency collection principles

• Jugular collection into a single-use anticoagulant bag system with continuous gentle mixing.
• Track volume by weight (1 mL ≈ 1 g for whole blood planning).
• Do not overdraw; have volume limits in your SOP based on donor size.
• Monitor donor throughout and recover with fluids/observation as protocol dictates.

Feline emergency collection principles

• Higher technical difficulty and donor stress risk — experienced hands only.
• Sedation/anaesthesia protocols must protect airway and blood pressure.
• Closed systems and strict volume limits are essential.
• If considering dog→cat xenotransfusion instead, read the xenotransfusion guide first — it is last-resort and one-time only.

After collection

• Label immediately: species, donor ID, time, volume, anticoagulant system, staff.
• Administer via filter set; start slow; monitor both patients.
• Document donor adverse events as seriously as recipient reactions.