The Onderstepoort Animal Blood Bank (OABB) has warned that it is running out of stock.

The bank stocks blood used in transfusions at the hospital or sold to veterinary practices in Pretoria and beyond.

In a press statement on Wednesday, the bank says that since the 1990s it has been the saving grace of many dogs, cats, and even prized stud sheep, horses and cattle in need of life-saving blood transfusions.

The facility is housed in the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science.

“The service was started in the mid-1990s by veterinarian Dr Trudie Dippenaar, who was also a specialist in veterinary clinical pathology,” says bank head Dr Yolandi Rautenbach, a senior lecturer and specialist in veterinary clinical pathology in the Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies.

“The facility was extended in the early 2000s by Professor Amelia Goddard and Dr Liesel van der Merwe.”

Through their initiative, a blood separation centrifuge was acquired to process donated blood.

“Since 2001, vets across the country have been able to buy fresh frozen plasma and blood from the bank. Around 360 bags of canine blood are collected annually and processed at the bank’s in-house facilities into red blood cells or fresh or frozen blood plasma.”

Fresh canine whole blood must be used within 12 hours of collection, while stored whole blood can be kept for 21 days.

Packed red blood cells can be safely stored for 42 days, while frozen plasma can be kept for up to five years.

“Over the past six years, the bank has on average provided 705 bags of various types of canine blood products annually, mainly to dogs treated at OVAH,” Rautenbach said.

“The summer months are particularly busy, with many cases of biliary fever also known as tick fever or babesiosis and snake bites being treated. Cats living in coastal provinces can contract feline biliary fever and would therefore also need blood transfusions.”

“The scale of our service is only possible thanks to the willingness of many pet owners who volunteer their dogs and cats as blood donors.”

She says the animals must be easy to manage, and be in good health, and all donors are treated as humanely as possible and per the strictest ethical and scientific measures.

“Blood is only collected from animals that have never had a blood transfusion of any kind themselves. Donor dogs are typically up to eight years in age. Only larger breeds can donate because donor dogs must weigh more than 25 kilograms,” she says.

Sister Marizelle de Clercq has been involved in the physical collection of donated blood while also running the donor database for more than two decades.

She reveals that eight greyhounds are always on standby on the UP Onderstepoort campus, in case of an emergency that requires fresh blood, or when stocks of other products run low.

“Just like humans, cats, sheep, and horses can have a bad reaction when receiving donor blood that is not of the same blood type as their own. Therefore, blood compatibility testing is crucial before they can receive a transfusion.”

“All in all, UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science and its Onderstepoort Animal Blood Bank are making sure as many animals’ lives as possible are saved using the best and latest research, knowledge, and technology.”

She says residents in the vicinity of Onderstepoort who would like to check if their pet can become a blood donor, must please contact De Clercq at marizelle.declercq@up.ac.za.