Pet Blood Bank is very proud to announce the launch of a new blood product for dogs. Canine Platelet Concentrate is now available to vets, offering a more convenient and efficient treatment for life-threatening bleeding in dogs.
Platelets are tiny cell fragments which are produced in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood of healthy dogs. They are the body’s first defence against bleeding, clumping together in a clot to seal damaged blood vessel walls. Canine Platelet Concentrate will help save dogs who are experiencing excessive bleeding due to a low number of platelets.
After you bring your dog along to a Pet Blood Bank donation session, the whole blood that is collected is then processed and split into different blood products, including red blood cells, plasma, and the new platelet component. Processing blood in this way means that one donation can help to save the lives of up to four other dogs as most conditions require only one component of the whole blood. Thousands of dogs are helped every year with blood donated by our wonderful community of donor dogs.
Wendy Barnett, Clinical Director at Pet Blood Bank UK, said, ‘We are proud to offer this new blood product to vets in the UK. Aligned with our mission to help save lives, we hope that providing quick and convenient access to Canine Platelet Concentrate will support vets across the UK who are treating dogs in what can be serious and life-threatening situations. Vets have been asking us for this product, so we are very pleased to now be able to offer it to them.’
If you are a vet, you can learn more about Canine Platelet Concentrate here.
If you are a dog owner, you can find out more about our blood donation programme here.
The evolution of blood products
Pet Blood Bank UK launched in 2007 after a change in legislation in 2005 made it possible to collect and store pet blood. Prior to this, the only way for vets to get the blood they needed for patients was to collect it from one dog and give it straight to another. This is called a whole blood transfusion.
Pet Blood Bank runs planned blood donation sessions across the UK where owners can bring their dogs to give blood. This allows the blood to be collected in a calm and positive environment without the pressure of an unwell pet waiting. Once the blood has been processed, it means vets can order only the component that they need and get it quickly and conveniently from us whenever they need it.
The introduction of Platelet Concentrate brings a similar innovation. Prior to this product, the only source of platelets for a dog was a whole blood unit, which meant the vet would have to collect blood from one dog and give it to another, just like before Pet Blood Bank began. Whole blood is sometimes available from Pet Blood Bank but there can be many logistical difficulties with this.
Now, vets can order just the platelet component that they need. This makes every unit of blood go much further and makes it quick and easy for vets to get what they need.
