Over the course of several days, the owners of a young 2-year old dog named Little Bear noticed he had less energy than normal. He just did not seem like his normal self. They rushed him to an emergency vet hospital and it turned out that Little Bear was critically ill. Severely anemic and requiring an immediate blood transfusion, Little Bear needed the help of an animal blood donor to give him a fighting chance.
The emergency hospital had several different units of blood in stock. Unfortunately, when tested, none were a compatible match with Little Bear’s blood type. Little Bear was almost out of luck when the North American Veterinary Blood Banks true universal animal blood donor came to the rescue!
Universal Donor Program
Only about 1% of all dogs have no antigens on their blood. Thus, all dogs can receive their blood with no chance of a reaction, making them a “true universal donor.” Chief, a 1-year old German Shepherd, has this very special blood type. Chief received the emergency call in the middle of the night and knew he had to come save the day. Chief was happy to share a small amount of his blood to help Little Bear feel better.
Within an hour of getting the call, Chief arrived, donated, and the transfusion began. Only a few hours post transfusion, Little Bear began to get his spunk back.
Chief came back the next morning to see how his new friend was feeling. Little Bear was standing and barking and feeling worlds better. Less than 24 hours after receiving the transfusion, Little Bear made a full recovery and was able to go home with his loving family, taking a little bit of Chief with him.
Little Bear and Chief will always share a special bond!
Stories like this are the reason the North American Veterinary Blood Bank was founded. Register now and your dog can be a hero too just like Chief! Help dogs in need like Little Bear and sign up today.