Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine Blood Bank
What is the Auburn CVM Blood Bank?
Sometimes our pets require blood products to help them recover from their illnesses. The Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital operates an on-site blood bank to provide life-saving red blood cells and plasma for our patients. We are looking for dogs to volunteer to be life-savers by donating blood!
Why should my dog donate blood?
Besides being canine heroes, our blood donors receive many perks. To show our appreciation, your dog will receive:
- Free large bag of food (Hill’s or Purina) at every donation
- Free heartworm, flea and tick prevention*
- Free routine vaccinations
- Free preventative health examinations at each blood donation
- Free bloodwork, urinalysis, and fecal testing as part of screening process
- Free biannual labwork
- Free annual tick-borne disease testing
- Free extended blood typing
- Endless cuddles, treats, and gratitude
*Nexgard and Heartgard Plus generously donated by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Dogs must donate at least 6 times per year to remain eligible for benefits. Dogs can donate up to every 4 weeks, but they are usually scheduled every 8 weeks.
What are the criteria for canine blood donors?
All dogs must meet the following criteria to be considered for the blood donor program:
- Greater than 50 pounds
- Spayed or neutered
- 1 – 6 years old
- Healthy and not receiving any medications
- Maintained on monthly heartworm preventative and current on vaccines
- Good-natured and friendly
- Able to make a 2 year commitment to the program
What is the donation procedure?
On a donation day, your dog will spend the day at the Bailey Small Animal Teaching hospital. A unit of blood (450 mL) will be collected from the jugular vein and stored for later use. Most of our donors do not require sedation, but some need a little bit of oral anti-anxiety medication that you give the morning of their donation. Following their donation, your dog will be given treats, a snack, and lots of love.
How do I apply?
If you have a dog that meets the above requirements and are interested in participating, please fill out and submit the following canine blood donor screening form and we will contact you to set up a screening appointment.
Currently, we are in the process of managing a waitlist of possible volunteer donors. The Donor Questionnaire will be made available when we are again in need of more donors.