Dog owners in Northwich urged to sign up to Pet Blood Bank UK

Posted on 3rd May 2023

DOG owners are being urged to put their pets forward as blood donors to help save other poorly pooches.

Willows Veterinary Hospital in Hartford is calling for people to help Pet Blood Bank UK replenish its stocks to allow vets to carry out life-saving treatment.

The organisation runs donation sessions across the country for owners to bring their much-loved companions to give blood.

The blood is then taken to a processing centre where it is separated into different products before being stored ready to be sent out to vets as and when they need it.

One donation can help save the lives of up to four other dogs and Dr Emily Guest, a vet at Willows Vet Hospital, is appealing for pet owners in the area to get involved in the scheme.

She said: “The Pet Blood Bank is a service that we can ring at any point to get deliveries of different blood products.

“Vets across the country are hugely reliant on it, but the Pet Blood Bank is in serious need of new donors to build up their blood stocks.

“With that in mind, we here at the hospital have applied to become a donor centre, so we’re looking for people in the area to sign their pets up.

“Owners will be contacted when the Pet Blood Bank is here, so it will be nice and convenient for them to come down.”

To donate, dogs must be at least one year old, more than 25 kilos and fully vaccinated.

For more information about registering your dog as a blood donor, visit petbloodbankuk.org.

Emily, who has worked for Willows Veterinary Group for five years explained: “A blood donor session for a dog is very similar to a person.

“On arrival they will receive a health check prior to their donation and then they receive snacks and a goodie bag afterwards.

“The whole process takes approximately 45 minutes and owners can stay with their pets during the donation.”

Emily has signed up her parent’s dog, Ollie, a two-year-old flat-coated retriever, for the scheme.

Pet owners from all vet practices in the area are encouraged to get involved.

Emily added: “What we are looking for is for people to sign up online if their dog meets the criteria and is generally happy and healthy and enjoys coming to the vets.

“If anyone has any queries before signing up, they can ring the hospital and have a chat with one of our support team who will be happy to help.