Orange Grove Veterinary Hospital in partnership with Dr. Kenneth Joubert from VAACCS Blood Bank, hosted a blood donation drive in celebration of Mandela Day 2018!
VAACCS (Veterinary Anaesthesia Analgesia and Critical Care Services) provides an essential service to veterinarians, providing plasma, platelets & red blood cells which are extracted from blood through a special centrifuge process. These blood byproducts are used in different instances such as animals with severe anaemia or with parvo-virus where a great deal of blood is lost from the illness.
All the dogs donating blood are first given a health examination where their temperature, pulse, heart & respiration rates are checked, and even a quick look at dental examination is performed. The donor dog is given a mild sedation before the process begins to ensure he/she remain calm and still as possible. Depending on their weight, each of our dogs donated between 200 – 400ml of blood (with the dogs weight ranging between 15 & 40kg)!
This is the second blood donation drive Orange Grove Vet has held with nine dogs ranging from a Standard Poodle, German Shepherds, Pointers and cross breeds taking part.
Each dogs’ blood will be given free blood typing & a blood donor card identifying blood type (for dogs there are 7 blood types!). They also receive a free health check and screening for infectious diseases. Not forgetting a thank you voucher from Hill’s Pet Nutrition for R150!
Blood donors are hard to come by & Orange Grove Vet is fortunate to have wonderful clients and staff who allowed their dogs to be blood donors. Thank you to Skylar Louw, Twinkle & Ninja Whitehouse, Tomas & Otto Chappel, Groucho & Toffee Mac William, Pauli Schonfeldt & Henri Kovarsky for making a difference this Mandela Day!!!
If you would like to find out more on how your dog can become a blood donor, contact us on (011)728-1371 or email candices@ogvh.co.za.
