As most of you know, we work on an appointment system for all our donation sessions. This means every available appointment is a valuable opportunity for us to collect a vital unit of blood. Unfortunately, sometimes dogs come along to our sessions and are unable to donate on the day, usually because of one of these top five reasons:
- Your dog is anxious or nervous: If your dog is anxious, nervous, or dislikes the vets then it is unlikely they will enjoy the donation process. The welfare of our donors is our top priority and if your dog shows any signs of being uncomfortable with the experience then we will stop. We need our donors to be happy, confident dogs who will enjoy coming to see us.
- Your dog is shy: Confidence is key. It’s much easier for us to calm an energetic dog down than make an anxious one feel comfortable. Dogs need to be happy meeting new people and going into new experiences to be successful donors.
- Your dog is on medication, unwell, or has recently received medical treatment: If your dog has taken medication within 72 hours of their appointment, is unwell on the day of donation, has been vaccinated within 2 weeks of the session, or has any visible concerns that need checked by a vet then they will be unable to donate. Please be aware of these restrictions and, if you are unsure, give us a call to check.
- Your dog is underweight or overweight: Our 25kg weight criteria is strict. All first time donors must weigh at least 25kg and all repeat donors must weigh at least 23.75kg. If your dog is close to the weight boundaries, please make sure you have them weighed before the session as even 0.1kg below will prevent them from donating. Likewise, it must be healthy weight so any very overweight dogs will also be unable to donate.
- Your dog needs more training: Sometimes dogs need a little extra training before they become successful donors. If you have been given training advice by our team, please make sure you commit time to do this with your dog. It is so important and means your dog has a better experience as they know what is expected of them. If you are struggling to find time to train your dog, that is okay and just means we will wait until you’ve had time before inviting you back.
We do everything we can to prevent dogs coming along who will be unable to donate for these reasons, but sometimes some slip through. This is why we need your help. We know how much you want your dogs to donate to help save other dogs. We understand and really appreciate the passion of all our owners. However, please be mindful that when you book an appointment for your dog, you are giving us an opportunity to collect a lifesaving unit of blood. If your dog is then unable to donate for one of these reasons, it means we have lost that opportunity and wasted your time coming along to the session.
We need as many dogs as possible to come along to our sessions, but we need to ensure that anything that might prevent them from donating has been identified in advance. This gives us the best possible chance of collecting the blood we so urgently need.
If you are unsure whether your dog will be able to donate, please ask. We are a friendly bunch and are always here to help on 01509 232222. Together, we can keep helping to save lives and make the most of all our donation sessions. Thank you.
