BLOOD AND BLOOD BANKING
Whole blood is collected and separate into its primary phases:
The plasma is then further
treated to obtain:
1) Red Blood Cells 2) Plasma
3) Cryoprecipitate 4) Cryosupernatant
(and/or platelets)
Processing
Where are you going?
All about blood banks
EVERY DROP COUNTS. That is what it comes down to, but a lot goes on before that can happen.
Not unlike Human blood banks, animal blood banks take whole blood from healthy donors and process this life saving resource into multiple clinically useful components. We make sure that every donation is safe, used to its full extent and accessible when needed.
The end result being, that one single donation can save up to 4 animals.
Safety screening
Donors need to be tested to make sure diseases are not spread via transfusions. SaBB follows the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine's recommendation when it comes to Donor Testing*.
Due to the transient nature of the people in Dubai, their dogs have become globetrotters themselves. We therefore decided to test beyond endemic diseases to ensure maximum safety for our donors and recipients.
*Wardrop KJ, Birkenheuer A, Blais MC, Callan MB, Kohn B, Lappin MR, Sykes J. Update on Canine and Feline Blood Donor Screening for Blood-Borne Pathogens. J Vet Intern Med. 2016 Jan-Feb;30(1):15-35.
Feline
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PCR:
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Anaplasma spp.
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Cytauxzoon felis
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Ehrlichia spp.
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Feline Hemotropic Mycoplasma, including haemofelis,
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Bartonella
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Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum and tricensis
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ELISA:
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FIV antibody
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FeLV antigen
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Canine
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PCR:
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Anaplasma spp.
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Bartonella spp.
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Babesia spp.
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Ehrlichia spp.
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Hepatozoon spp.
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Leishmania spp.
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Neorickettsia risticii
-
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
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Mycoplasma genus.
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IFA:
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Leishmania
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Ehrlichia canis
-
Canine Hemotropic Mycoplasma
Haemocanis and Candidatus
Mycoplasma haematoparvum
-
-
Lyme Quant C6
Controlled environment
Special blood banking fridges and freezers are used to provide optimal temperature. They are monitored at all times.
Our stored units go through scheduled microbiological testing to make sure our blood is safe to use.
Animal blood banks are held to human standards. We therefore measure specific parameters in the blood to ensure compliance.
Quality control
The sale of blood
The question is often posed if blood banks should make money from blood products as blood is donated free of charge.
The charge for blood components is the cost of running the service as well as ensuring the safety of both donor and recipient. The extensive testing of donors as well as the meticulous storage conditions required, to provide a safe source of blood is expensive and requires trained staff. It is our promise to keep the cost of blood as low as possible to ensure it is available and affordable for all.
When it comes to transfusing itself, the time and clinical expertise required for a successful outcome justify a cost placed by clinics on blood transfusions. We ask clinics to please refrain from placing a mark up on the blood products themselves. The fee for a safe and monitored transfusion within a clinical setting however will always be at the discretion of the practices.
In dogs, there are at least 12 known blood types (some still waiting to be discovered), most of which are classified as Dog Erythrocyte Antigens (DEAs). These can be present in varying combinations – so your dog may be DEA 1 positive and DEA 4 positive.
Dogs do not have naturally-occurring antibodies against other blood groups but will develop them after their first transfusion. Therefore it is often stated that the first transfusion is safe. However, this practice should be abandoned as even though not life threatening, the donor blood cells will not survive as long, reducing the efficacy of the transfusion.
Cats have four known blood groups – A, B, AB and Mik. The Mik group can exist in parallel to the three others so that a cat may be A and Mik.
Unlike dogs, cats have naturally occurring antibodies against other blood groups. This makes blood typing essential before every transfusion in cats.
Blood typing checks blood groups are the same. This allows compatible blood to be given. Moreover, you might hear your veterinarian talk about crossmatching. What this does is mimic a transfusion outside of the body, directly assessing if two individual cells and plasma are compatible. In effect this is an extra safety measure put in place to check for anything that cannot be tested with commercially available tests or unknowns.
Transfusion
Call: 045 911 007
Whatsapp: 052 904 4005
SaBB Clinic & Laboratory,
Warehouse 3/3, Street 29 Dubai Investment Park 2UAE,
Makani #: 18250 64042
Dubai
VETERINARY CLINIC
& LABORATORY
