Veterinary Teaching Hospital Blood Bank

Canine Requirements:

• 1-8 years old (any male or female)
• 55+ pounds (lean body weight)
• Quiet temperament
• No history of blood transfusion

Feline Requirements:

• 1-8 years old (any male or female that’s never had kittens before)
• 11+ pounds (lean body weight)
• Quiet temperament
• No history of  blood transfusion
• Strictly indoor only
• Housemate cats must also be strictly indoors and fully vaccinated as well

Benefits to Donors While Enrolled in the Program:

• Donor dogs in the VTH Blood Bank Program will receive annual vaccinations, heartworm preventive and flea and tick prevention treatment products at no cost for as long as they remain in the program.
• Donor cats in the VTH Blood Bank Program will receive annual vaccinations and flea prevention, at no cost for as long as they remain in the program. If housed with dogs, donor cats will be required to apply flea control year round.
• The owner agrees to bring the donor to the VTH at Virginia Tech for scheduled donations at least four times per year for one full year and, once per year for a general physical examination and blood testing. If, at the end of one year, the VTH Blood Bank has contacted the owner for donations and the total number of donations does not exceed two, or if the owner withdraws the animal from the program before making at least 3 donations, the owner may be billed for the general physical exam and blood testing.

Application Process:

• Fill Out Pre-Screening Form
• Qualified candidates will be emailed to schedule an exam
• Behavior and physical exam and blood screening from CPRAC 
• The physical examination and laboratory tests necessary to qualify and maintain the animal as a donor are performed at no cost to the owner and all results are made available to the owner and primary veterinarian. Animals whose physical examination or laboratory results reveal a need for further diagnostic testing and/or medical treatment will be referred back to the primary veterinarian for management. If no primary veterinarian is listed, services of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital may be used for this purpose if desired by the owner. The owner may reapply to the Blood Bank program for that animal after it is declared healthy by the primary veterinarian.

Scheduling:

• Donors are scheduled to visit the Veterinary Teaching Hospital on a rotating basis. All scheduled donations take place on Monday mornings.
• In the event an emergency donation is required, donors will be contacted by phone to request immediate availability.

Day of Your Appointment:

• Owners will drop off enrolled pets on their scheduled Monday morning. Prior to each blood draw, each pet is given an examination by a veterinarian to ensure the animal is in good health.
• Blood draws are conducted by a licensed veterinary technician and your pet is under supervision and care for the entire procedure and recovery.
• Pets are able to go home the same day as the donation.

Recovery:

• Just like in humans, your pet may be tired after a blood donation. We recommend using a harness to take your pet home to avoid irritating the draw site. Allow your pet to calmly rest for the remainder of the day.
• Pets can return to regular activity the following day.