Cat blood donor registries are being created

Calder-based vets, which have branches across West Yorkshire, have created an innovative feline blood donor registry to help save the lives of cats who are seriously ill or have been involved in serious accidents.

Unlike human or dog blood, cat blood cannot be stored for long periods of time. Therefore, finding a suitable donor when blood is urgently needed is very difficult. It's not always possible to find the right animal in time.

The registry will make the search for the right donor much faster and easier – which in turn will help save the patient.

Any cat can save the life of another cat.

Dr. Jane Scott, a veterinarian, says: "There are various conditions that can lead to severe anemia in cats and require transfusions. These include bleeding after a traffic accident or diseases such as hemolysis, where the cat's own immune system attacks the red blood cells, destroying them.

Finding a suitable donor for a cat can be complicated by the fact that cat blood isn't stored. This is truly a real chance to save the cat."

The donor must be a good match for the patient to avoid the recipient's immune system rejecting the blood cells received through transfusion. During rejection, the recipient's immune system attacks the donor's cells, destroying them, which will prevent the animal from recovering. Therefore, it is crucial that the cat's blood be typed before the transfusion—a simple procedure that can be performed at the nearest veterinary clinic in Calder.

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