16/05/2025
🌟 Lifesaving Blood Transfusion for a Little Goat – Meet Pocket! 🐐❤️
We performed a blood transfusion on a severely anaemic young goat named Pocket. She was brought in after her owners noticed she had become unusually quiet, lethargic, and wasn’t eating well. Upon examination, our veterinarians, Dr Jennie and Dr Francisco, noted her mucous membranes were nearly white, her heart rate was elevated, and she was extremely weak. A quick check of her packed cell volume (PCV) of 4% (normal in goats is 23-39%) 🙀 and faecal egg count of 700 eggs per gram🪱🐛🪱, confirmed a diagnosis of life-threatening anaemia and hypoproteinemia due to internal parasites—specifically Haemonchus contortus (Barber’s Pole worm).
We’d like to share why and how this uncommon, yet sometimes necessary, procedure can save lives—and why monitoring worm burdens in your small ruminant flocks is so important.
🩸 Why Do Goats Need Transfusions? Though rare, blood transfusions in goats are sometimes vital. Common reasons include: • Severe anaemia from internal parasites • Blood loss due to trauma • Haemolytic anaemia (rapid red blood cell destruction) 🧪
The Process:
1. Donor Identification: A healthy adult goat—or in some cases, cattle—can donate blood. In Pocket’s case, a sweet Boer wether named Bubba saved the day. Huge thanks to Deb and Pete for bringing him in!
2. Cross-matching: Goats have many blood types, making cross-matching difficult. Ideally, a close relative is used, but with parasites often affecting whole flocks, this isn’t always possible. Instead, we monitor closely and manage any transfusion reactions when unrelated donors are used.
3. Collection: Blood is drawn from the donor’s jugular vein into a sterile collection bag with anticoagulant—just like in human blood donation. Healthy adult goats can safely donate 500–700 mLs of blood.
4. Transfusion: Blood is then slowly transfused into the recipient through a jugular catheter.
5. Monitoring: The patient is observed closely during and after the transfusion for any signs of reaction.
⚠️ Important Notes: • Goat red blood cells have a short lifespan, so transfusions provide temporary support while the root cause is treated.
Pocket also received an anthelmintic to combat her heavy worm burden. • Blood transfusions should only be performed by a qualified veterinarian.
We’re thrilled to report that Pocket showed great improvement—her mucous membranes turned pink, her blood volume increased, and her sweet, bubbly personality returned. 💪🐐
And she is back at home with her much-relieved family. We will keep checking in over the next few days to ensure she makes a complete recovery.
Have questions? We’re always happy to share and help others learn more about advanced goat care!
