This service is only possible because of our wonderful dogs and cats that come in throughout the year to donate blood for use here at DWR.
Our priority here at DWR is the donor’s comfort and wellbeing. They are screened before enrolment to ensure that they are healthy enough to donate and are comfortable with the process. The donated blood can be used to help our patients in many ways such as treating immune-mediated diseases and in the emergency and critical care department.
Can your pet help?
- Weight/Age limits apply (enquire for details)
- Not received a blood transfusion themselves
- Not on any treatment for any condition
- Have not travelled abroad
- Healthy
- Comfortable and relaxed with people
What's involved?
Dogs: A small amount of fur is clipped from the neck so that we can clean the area and see the vein clearly. We apply local anaesthetic cream to minimise sensation of the area. Dogs give blood the same way humans do. On average the donation take up to 10 minutes and the whole appointment can be up to 1 hour.
Cats: A small area of fur is clipped from the leg and neck to enable the area to be clean and to have access to the vein. We apply local anaesthetic cream to minimise sensation of the area. On average, the donation take about 10-15 minutes and the whole process take approximately 6 hours. The reason cats stay with us longer is so that cats receive enough fluids via intravenous fluid therapy to ensure they are adequately hydrated. With cat donations, owners can drop them off with us and collect later in the day.
Thank you!
To show our appreciation to our lifesavers, they are given:
- Free vet health check at every donation
- Free annual blood tests
- Delicious meal at every donation
- Free bag of food at every donation
- DWR Blood Donor Bandana
- Cats Only: Free heart scan and FeLV/FIV tests
We are always looking to welcome new donors! If you think your dog or cat would make a great donor and are interested in them joining the blood donor program, please fill in our form * or email blooddonor@dwr.co.uk.