Our on site blood mobile visits at the Animal Medical Center are always a huge success.  Our next blood mobile visit is:

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
3pm to 7pm

Thank you to all of our canine volunteers for donating and their moms and dads for bringing them.  Your donations are helping save the lives of dogs throughout the Delaware Valley.

Please read the below page to learn more about why donating blood is important, how it could help your own dog and the blood donation criteria.

Why Should Your Dog Donate Blood?

You Can Help Dogs In Need!
Each unit of donated blood can help save the life of one, two or three critically ill dogs.  Many dogs require a blood transfusion to survive during surgery, following trauma, or when they are suffering from anemia or bleeding disorders such as hemophilia.

While You Help Keep Your Dog Healthy!
Each year, blood donors undergo testing to evaluate their health. You and your veterinarian will be notified of any abnormal test results. Should the need arise, donors are eligible to receive blood - free of charge - equal to the number of units donated in their lifetime. Now that's blood banking!

What happens to your dog's donated blood?
Each pint of blood is taken to the blood bank and separated into a variety of blood components. Specific components allow us to treat specific diseases more efficiently and effectively. The blood components are stored until a transfusion is required by one of Penn Veterinary Medicine’s patients.

Should You Sign Your Dog Up Today to Donate?

Yes if your dog…

• Has a good temperament and is a willing volunteer
• Weighs more than 50 pounds
• Is between 1 and 7 years old (donors are retired when they reach the age of 8)
• Is in excellent health
• Has blood that is type DEA1.1 negative (a simple blood test is performed on site)

No if your dog…

• Has a serious health condition
• Has been sick recently (e.g. coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea)
• Has ever been diagnosed with a heart murmur
• Has ever had a seizure
• Has been vaccinated within 4 weeks of donation date
• Has received medications other than flea, tick or heartworm pre-ventative in the past two weeks
• Has had or will have surgery within 4 weeks
• Has ever received a blood transfusion Has donated blood in the past 6 weeks
• Is in season, pregnant or will be bred soon

Our past blood mobile visits at the Animal Medical Center were a huge successes.  Thank you to all of our canine volunteers Lily, Mason, Winnie, Rhoda, Toby, Raven, Chino,  Milo, Flash, Bailey, Riley, Bruin, Sydney, Max, Cassie, Joey, Phoebe, Max, Lucy, Tundra, Bartleby, Bella, Eri and their moms and dads for bringing them. 

For more information about Animal Medical Center's Blood Drive and to become a volunteer, please contact Denise at 610-489-8982.

Animal Medical Center and the Penn Blood Bank

Pets Helping Pets!

“Hi, my name is Duke. I am one lucky Labrador.  Last year while picking through the trash, I ate some rat poison and boy was that a mistake.  I got very sick from that stuff and had to spend a long time in a big place with other sick cats and dogs.  I kept hearing some of those people saying something about me bleeding and I got real tired. As it turns out, I got better and went home to my family, but only because some of my pals let me borrow some of their blood.”

Duke is one of many dogs who benefits from blood donation programs all over the country.  The Animal Medical Center and The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Animal Blood Bank (PABB) join together several times a year to gather blood donations from healthy dogs.  You and your dog may be able to help save lives if your dog is between 50-150 pounds, is between the ages of 1-7 years, and is in excellent health.  We work to make this a stress free experience for you and your pet by allowing owners to stay with their dog during the blood collection.  In appreciation of your efforts, your dog’s gifts include a free panel of screening bloodwork, either a bag or case of Hill’s Science diet food of your choice, and if your dog were to ever need a blood transfusion, each pint of blood that they have donated will be equally returned to them at no charge.