When Ellie registered their beloved family dog Shadow as a blood donor, they hoped she would help save the lives of other dogs.
What she never expected was that one of Shadow's donation appointments would help her too.
Shadow joined Ellie's family as an eight-week-old puppy just before the first Covid lockdown in 2020. Affectionately known as ‘Doe-Doe’, she's full of tail wags and bum wiggles, and loves being the centre of attention.
After hearing about Pet Blood Bank from another dog owner, Ellie registered Shadow as soon as she was old enough to donate.
‘Shadow would drag me in and loved the fuss, attention, and of course treats! It amazed me how hyper she was, but when it came to the health checks and donating, a switch occurred and she was immediately calm.’
Over the years, Shadow became a regular donor, attending donation sessions at Shrubbery Vets and Newnham Court Vets. Then, just before her 20th milestone, everything changed.
Before every donation, our donor dogs receive a free health check from our vet to make sure they are fit and well to donate. It was during this routine assessment that our team identified signs of anaemia and advised Ellie to contact her vet as soon as possible.
After investigations, including a referral to the oncology team at Southfields Veterinary Specialists, Ellie received devastating news. Shadow was diagnosed with acute leukaemia.
The news came as a complete shock as just a few months earlier Shadow had received a clean bill of health during her annual vaccination appointment – there had been nothing to suggest anything was wrong.
Treatment began immediately, and while the months since have been challenging, Shadow has remained her cheerful self.
‘We are so grateful that because of the amazing Pet Blood Bank team and those routine health checks, Shadow's illness was discovered when it was. The early diagnosis has given us the chance of having more time with her.
Thankfully, Shadow is blissfully unaware that anything is wrong. To her, she's getting extra treats and vet visits, although she keeps looking at them expecting unlimited supplies of treats and is duly miffed not to get as many. She thinks all vets should have treat training from the amazing Pet Blood Bank team!’
For now, Ellie and her family are taking one day at a time and enjoying every moment with Shadow.
While Shadow is now retired from donating blood after helping up to 76 other dogs in need, her story is a reminder that looking after our donor dogs is just as important as the lives they help save. Visit our dog blood donation pages to learn more.
