Meet Hugo, a feisty 10-year-old rescue shitzu.
Hugo has always lit up the life of his owner, Jillian, and her family, bringing so much fun and chaos to the household.
But in June 2022, Hugo collapsed in the garden and the family were beside themselves with worry for him. He was admitted to Rutland House Vets and within 24 hours was diagnosed with IMHA. Immune Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia is a condition where the body attacks its own red blood cells, something that is sadly all too common for dogs. Hugo’s immune system was weakened, leading to severe anaemia and poor oxygen delivery to his vital organs.
The only two options were for him to be made comfortable and inevitably put to sleep, or have an emergency blood transfusion.
Hugo had two blood transfusions over the course of a week. ‘Without the action of selfless owners and the brave dogs who gave blood, Hugo wouldn’t have had a chance. The donations gave him the opportunity and strength he needed to fight’’, Jillian said.
Once Hugo’s blood count was raised, he was put on a variety of medications including immunosuppressants and steroids. These were monitored closely over the next 14 months by his vet Jorge Torralba. ‘Jorge was so thorough and patient with Hugo and us during such a worrying time. He was wonderful’, Jillian added.
Finally, just before Christmas 2023, Hugo came off all his medication and is once again thriving.
‘We will always be so grateful to Pet Blood Bank and their wonderful team, owners, and lifesaving donors - thank you for giving our boy another chance.’
Dogs like Hugo rely on blood being available in these life-threatening situations and we aim to ensure this is always the case. However, more dogs are needed to come forward and give blood to meet this aim. If your dog is fit and healthy, between 1 and 8 years old, weighs over 25kg, and is confident, they could become a blood donor and help to save lives.
