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Buddies for Life: The OVRS Canine Blood Bank

Your Dog Could Help Save Another Pet’s Life

Every day, dogs arrive at veterinary hospitals with life-threatening injuries, severe anemia, bleeding disorders, cancer, and other conditions that may require an urgent blood transfusion.

When minutes matter, a dependable blood supply can make lifesaving treatment possible.

The Buddies for Life Canine Blood Bank at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services maintains canine blood products for patients at OVRS and veterinary hospitals throughout the region. This vital resource exists because caring families volunteer to bring their healthy dogs to OVRS to donate.

These remarkable dogs may never meet the patients they help. Yet every donation represents hope for another pet—and another family.

Could your dog become a Buddy for Life?

Canine Blood Drive Online Form Canine Blood Drive Form (PDF)

More Than 400 Transfusions Every Year

OVRS administers more than 400 blood transfusions annually.

Blood products may be needed by patients receiving care through:

  • Emergency and Critical Care
  • Internal Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Surgery
  • Other veterinary hospitals and referring practices in the community

Some recipients need blood following a traumatic injury or unexpected emergency. Others need transfusion support during surgery, cancer treatment, or care for an immune-mediated disease. A patient may require only one transfusion, while a critically ill dog may need several.

The need can arise at any hour. Maintaining an in-house blood bank helps ensure that appropriate canine blood products are available 24 hours a day when patients need them most.

Meet the Heroes Behind the Blood Bank

The true heroes of Buddies for Life are the volunteer dogs and families who make this program possible.

Approximately 75 donor dogs currently participate in the program, with many donating quarterly. Much like people who participate in community blood drives, their families give a small amount of time to help patients they may never know.

For a dog named Maya, that generosity meant another chance at life. Maya arrived at OVRS in desperate need of a transfusion. Blood donated by a community volunteer helped her receive the urgent treatment she needed—and allowed her grateful family to take her home again.

Stories like Maya’s are possible because donor blood is already available when an emergency occurs. The need is ongoing, and new Buddies for Life are always welcome.

Could Your Dog Be a Blood Donor?

Potential donors should be healthy, friendly dogs who are comfortable meeting people and visiting a veterinary hospital.

OVRS donor candidates generally must:

  • Weigh more than 50 pounds
  • Meet the program’s age requirements
  • Be current on required vaccinations
  • Be current on heartworm prevention
  • Be healthy and not taking medications
  • Have a calm, cooperative temperament

We evaluate every candidate to determine whether blood donation is appropriate and safe. The OVRS Blood Bank team will review your dog’s health history, preventive care, temperament, and other eligibility considerations with you.

If you are unsure whether your dog qualifies, please contact us. Our team will be happy to answer your questions.

What Happens During a Donation?

A canine blood-donation appointment takes approximately 20 minutes.

The OVRS team is experienced with donor dogs and prioritizes their comfort and well-being. A successful donor should be relaxed enough to remain still and cooperate with gentle handling during the collection.

Before your dog’s first donation, the team will review the completed donor application, vaccination records, medical history, medications, travel history, and other health information. Eligible dogs may also require screening to help ensure that donation is safe for them and that their blood is appropriate for veterinary patients.

The team will explain the donation process and what to expect before, during, and after each visit.

We collect donations as needed and contact participating families to arrange convenient appointment times. Some families may also choose to indicate whether they are willing to be contacted for an urgent donation.

How One Donation Can Help

Veterinary teams can process whole blood into different components, allowing them to provide the part that best meets a patient’s medical needs.

The OVRS Blood Bank prepares and maintains products that may include:

Packed Red Blood Cells

Packed red blood cells help carry oxygen through the body and may be used for dogs with clinically significant anemia or blood loss.

Fresh Frozen Plasma

Fresh frozen plasma contains important clotting factors and proteins. It may be used for patients with certain bleeding or clotting disorders and other critical conditions.

Frozen Plasma

Frozen plasma contains proteins that may benefit selected patients based on their diagnosis and treatment needs.

Cryoprecipitate

Cryoprecipitate is a concentrated source of specific clotting proteins. It may be used for dogs with particular inherited or acquired bleeding disorders.

Platelet-Rich Plasma

Platelet-rich plasma contains concentrated platelets and may be used in selected patients experiencing severe thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction, or active bleeding.

The veterinary team selects blood components based on each recipient’s diagnosis, laboratory findings, blood type, and clinical condition.

Blood Typing and Crossmatching

Just as with people, blood compatibility matters for dogs.

OVRS offers blood typing and crossmatching to help veterinary teams select appropriate blood products and reduce the risk of transfusion reactions. Crossmatching evaluates compatibility between a donor’s blood and the intended recipient’s blood before transfusion.

These safeguards are an important part of providing carefully managed transfusion support.

Supporting Veterinary Patients Throughout the Community

The Buddies for Life Blood Bank supports more than patients hospitalized at OVRS. Canine blood components may also be made available to referring veterinarians when their patients need transfusion support.

This regional resource helps veterinary teams respond to urgent and complex cases without depending on a donor being found after a crisis has already begun.

Every volunteer donor contributes to a larger circle of care connecting OVRS, family veterinarians, pet owners, and patients throughout the community.

Why Are New Donors Always Needed?

A veterinary blood bank requires a dependable and diverse group of qualified donors.

Blood products have limited storage lives, and the need for transfusions cannot always be predicted. Donors also eventually retire because of age, health changes, medications, relocation, or other circumstances.

Regularly welcoming new dogs into the program helps OVRS:

  • Maintain an appropriate blood supply
  • Prepare for unexpected emergencies
  • Support patients with different blood types
  • Replace donors as they retire
  • Continue assisting veterinary hospitals throughout the region

Even with a dedicated group of current volunteers, donor recruitment must remain an ongoing effort.

Is Blood Donation Right for Your Dog?

The best donor dogs are not only physically healthy but also comfortable with the experience.

Your dog may be a good candidate if they:

  • Enjoy meeting new people
  • Are comfortable being gently handled
  • Remain reasonably relaxed in a veterinary setting
  • Can lie or sit quietly for a short period
  • Meet the health, weight, age, vaccination, and preventive-care requirements

Not every wonderful dog will enjoy donating, and that is okay. Your dog’s physical and emotional well-being always comes first.

If your dog is not eligible, you can still support Buddies for Life by sharing information about the program with friends, relatives, training groups, breed clubs, and other families with healthy large dogs.

Become Part of Buddies for Life

Your dog already means the world to you. As a canine blood donor, they could also make a profound difference for a family facing one of the most frightening days of their lives.

A few minutes of your time could provide blood for an injured dog, support a patient through surgery, or give a critically ill pet another chance to go home.

To learn whether your dog may qualify:

Information for Referring Veterinarians

The OVRS Canine Blood Bank maintains canine blood components for use at OVRS and by referring veterinary practices as available.

Products may include:

  • Packed red blood cells
  • Fresh frozen plasma
  • Frozen plasma
  • Cryoprecipitate
  • Platelet-rich plasma

Blood typing and crossmatching are also available to help guide component selection and reduce the risk of incompatibility.

Please contact OVRS at (248) 334-6877 for current product availability, testing, handling information, or assistance with a patient requiring transfusion support.