29/04/2026
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ โจ
This monthโs Pet of the month is a truly an amazing tale of survival. Blue is a normally bouncy, happy puppy. His owners noticed one night he was a little wobbly before bed, his condition rapidly worsened until early the next morning he was completely collapsed and could not move. He was rushed straight down to the Hawera clinic for emergency out of hours treatment.
When Blue arrived, he was nearly comatose. He had to be carried into the clinic, his gums were completely white, and his heart rate was very high. It was determined he was in shock. Emergency treatment was started immediately with shock fluids, while blood tests and an ultrasound were performed. These showed that Blueโs red blood cell concentration (PCV) was critically low.
Further investigation revealed that Blue had likely ingested possum bait around a week earlier. This had caused severe internal bleeding into his gastrointestinal tract, leaving him dangerously anaemic. An urgent blood transfusion was the only way to save his life.
Thankfully, luck was on Blueโs side. The on-call nurse that morning knew of a suitable blood donor, her own dog Ivar. Bailei and Ivar rushed straight in, and to ensure the process was as safe and stress free as possible, Ivar was gently sedated while a bag of blood was collected. This precious cargo was then delivered straight into Blueโs veins.
We monitored Blue very carefully at the start of the transfusion to ensure he did not react to Ivarโs blood. Thankfully everything went smoothly and towards the end of the bag Blue was feeling much much better and even tried to jump off the table! He was also started on the treatment for possum bait โ Vitamin K.
Unfortunately, possum and rat baits can remain in an animalโs system for a long time, meaning treatment must be continued for at least 4โ6 weeks, and sometimes longer. Followโup blood tests are used to check whether clotting factors have returned to normal before medication can be safely stopped.
Since this very close call, Blue has made an excellent recovery. He is doing very well at home, and his PCV levels has returned to normal, we are yet to do the follow up clotting test but hopefully will be able to stop the Vitamin K treatment soon. A very happy ending made possible by quick action, teamwork, and a very special canine blood donor.
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Blood donation in animals works a little differently than it does for people. Although there is a dog blood bank based near Palmerston North, when an animal urgently needs blood there often isnโt time to wait for it to be transported. In these situations, fresh blood is collected immediately from suitable donor animals.
Because of this, we are always on the lookout for kind, healthy pets who could become lifesaving donors. If you think your dog or cat might be able to help, please read the requirements below and contact Courtney at [email protected] to learn more.
๐ถ Dog donor requirements:
โ๏ธHealthy and well
โ๏ธUnder 8 years of age
โ๏ธWeighs over 25kg
โ๏ธNever had puppies
โ๏ธNo history of blood transfusions
โ๏ธNot on any long term or current medications
๐บ Cat donor requirements:
โ๏ธHealthy and well
โ๏ธUnder 8 years of age
โ๏ธWeighs over 5kg
โ๏ธNever had kittens
โ๏ธNo history of blood transfusions
โ๏ธNot on any long term or current medications
โ๏ธIdeally lives indoors or in a catio
