AV animal clinic opens blood bank

South Metro Animal Emergency Care seeking donations

South Metro Animal Emergency Care in Apple Valley is calling for blood donations from their four-legged friends.

Cats weighing at least nine pounds and dogs that weight at least 50 pounds may be eligible to give donations for South Metro's new Twin Cities Animal Blood Bank (TCABB).  All donors should be healthy, have a good temperament and be between the ages of 1 and 9.  The furry donors can be either male or female, although females are required to be spayed.  And the animals must be current on their vaccinations.

"There's a low (blood) supply and a large demand," said Julie Crandall, manager of South Metro Animal Emergency Care.  Before TCABB, local veterinarians depended on the three national animal blood banks that disburse to hospitals across the nation.  Crandall said the breaking point was when South Metro needed a single unit of plasma and was placed on a 14-week waiting list.  South Metro decided to start its own blood bank to meet its demands and create faster access to blood for local vets.

TCABB kicked off its blood drive at the Woofer and Hoofer Humane Society walk at the Minnesota Zoo in May.  "It's a lot of client education," Crandall said.  "There's more understanding of the value of the blood transfusion."

One of the most common reasons among dogs for a blood transfusion is ingesting rat poison.  Wendi Gifford, certified veterinary technician, and Vicki Wichmann-Miller, veterinary technician, said South Metro has seen an increasing number of dogs accidentally eating rat poison in the summer.  To get the poison out of the animal's blood, a transfusion is needed.  About half of South Metro's blood work goes to rat poison cases.  "We do have a high success rate," Crandall said.  The sooner owners bring their poisoned animals in, the higher the chances for survival.

Other uses for blood transfusions include anemia, surgeries, spleen tumors and clotting disorders, to name a few.  Wichmann-Miller said that as advances have been made in veterinary medicine, the need for blood transfusions has increased.  "Pets are more like family members today," Wichmann-Miller said.  Owners are more willing to choose surgeries and other medical procedures if an animal becomes sick rather than opting for euthanasia, she said.  "We try to help the owner keep the pet as long as they can," Crandall said.  "It's a need we've been hearing from our community."

The area that South Metro services stretches across the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.  South Metro opened its doors in Apple Valley in 1988 with the help of area veterinarians, Crandall said, "wanting their lives back."  Before the emergency clinic opened, veterinarians were on call 24-hours a day.  If a midnight emergency came in involving one of their clients, they had to take the call.  Local vets decided to create one clinic to serve for overnight and Sunday emergencies, continuously staffed by a vet and technicians.  In 1997, South Metro moved to its current location, at 14690 Pennock Avenue.  The clinic has 32 shareholders and 120 hospitals that refer their clients there for emergencies.

With the growing customer base, Crandall said, "We've been able to be proactive and progressive."  The creation of the TCABB puts South Metro at the forefront of veterinary services, she said.

At the Woofer and Hoofer event, about 25 pet owners signed up for the required animal screening, the first step an animal takes in becoming a blood donor.  Seven owners had their pets go through the process, and four moved on to becoming donors.  Screening consists of a consultation with the owner, pet, and veterinary technician, which allows the pet to get used to the hospital and for the technician to learn the animal's personality.  Not every animal has the patience needed to donate, Wichmann-Miller said.  The animal is awake during the 10-minute donation procedure.  Blood is drawn from the jugular.  "We don't like to sedate dogs," Wichmann-Miller said.

After the initial consultation, South Metro will collect a minimal amount of blood to perform an extensive health screening test.  During this step, the pet's blood type will be determined.  Just as humans, animals also have blood types.  The animal will also be checked for various diseases.  All of the blood work results will be sent to the animal's regular veterinary clinic.  If the pet passes the screening process, a donation schedule will be developed at the convenience of the owner.

Crandall said South Metro asks for a commitment of three or four donations per year, which allows the clinic to break even with the blood work cost.  There is no charge to the owner.  Animals involved in the program will also be offered free blood or blood products if it is ever needed.

For more information or to set up a blood bank consultation, call Gifford or Wichmann-Miller at 612-750-1252.