Meet Gipper, a 14 year old Portuguese Podengo who needed a platelet transfusion to give him the best chance of recovery after a critical operation.
Gipper was referred to Davies Veterinary Specialists in November 2025 who discovered a tumor on his spleen. One of his symptoms from this was a very low platelet count, which meant he was at higher risk of bleeding during surgery.
To give him the best chance of recovery after surgery to remove his spleen, Gipper received a pre-operative platelet transfusion. Platelets are essential for clotting and preventing excessive bleeding, and in cases like Gipper’s, they can mean the difference between life and death.
You may have heard that every unit of blood we collect helps save up to four lives. This is because each donation can be split into different components, to be used for different conditions and purposes. For Gipper, it was the platelet component that made his surgery possible.
After a challenging recovery in ICU, Gipper fought through and is now back home, resting and enjoying life with his family.
His owner, Marc, said: ’We are very grateful for the blood from Pet Blood Bank that helped Gipper get through his surgery.’
Lifesaving transfusions like this are only possible thanks to the generosity of our donors and their incredible owners. If your dog is aged between 1 and 8, over 25kg, and fit and healthy they could be a lifesaver and help other dogs like Gipper have the best chance of recovery and life. Visit our dog blood donation pages to learn more.
