Did you know pets have blood types?

Did you know that cats and dogs have blood types, and that your pets can be heroes were they to become blood donors?

Realising that there’s a lot about animals that many humans simply do not know (because not everyone is a vet), is usually the first step taken by humans looking to understand their pets better.

Read more: Absolute Pets Says Thank You! We’re Grateful for Your Vote and Support!

The best way to love your pet, is to know how your pet’s life (or lives) can be saved at any point through a blood transfusion at a veterinary hospital or clinic. Vets tend to be very busy, and pet hospitals can get busy. That said, Bryanston Veterinary Hospital’s (BVH) Dr Shira Samson took a moment after surgery on September 2 to talk about pet blood donations, and the different types of bloods common pets have.

“Dogs have seven different blood types: they are the DEAs (Dog Erythrocyte Antigens):1.1, 1.2, and 1.3; DEA 3, 4, 5, and 7. But we only check for DEA 1.1 positive, or negative, when a dog comes to donate,” Samson taught with a smile.

“They’re just the most common ones,” she explained. “When your dog comes in to donate, we do a little blood test that tells us if they have the positive or negative antigen, it’s like the Rhesus (Rh) factor in people.”

Cats, on the other hand, only have three blood types: A, B, and AB. Interestingly, cats can suffer from feline leukaemia (FeLV), as well as a feline immuno-deficiency virus (FIV) – which gets spread when cats come into close physical contact with one another.

“It’s HIV – but in cats. This is spread via cats in close contact. It’s more your male roaming cats who spread it when they get into fights,” Samson explained. “It’s not transmissible to dogs or people. FIV is more common in feral animals, stray cats that you pick up and rehome: once in a household, it does tend to spread amongst your cats.

“FeLV is kind of like leukaemia, but cats have a contagious version: we say that FeLV is the love virus as it’s spread via cats grooming each other, licking, and sharing food bowls,” said Samson. “But these are conditions that can be managed. We can’t cure them, but we can manage them.”

Samson also put into context why it’s important to always have blood on supply, as it’s almost impossible to predict when a pet may need an urgent blood transfusion.

“Usually, when an animal is in need of a blood transfusion, it’s an emergency. So, we require people that have pets at home, who are suitable donors, to come in so that we can have a store of blood, so that we don’t need a live donor,” Samson said, explaining the procedure. “It’s free, and there are benefits for your pets to become donors. They get a health check when they come, basically a free vet check; we do a blood smear on them to ensure that they don’t have any blood-borne parasites – which are normally carried by tics.

“Then we do the blood donation procedure: we sedate the animals; just a little bit of sedation to make them calm, and relaxed, so that they’re comfortable throughout the procedure,” Samson concluded. “We give all our donors their annual vaccinations, as well as a three-month tic-and-flea control product. They also get a little treat to go home with.”

Important things to note when taking your cat or dog in to donate blood:

Dogs need to:

• Be aged 2–7.

• Weigh more than 25kg.

• Be a pretty good temperament, so that it’s mutually less stressful for dog and medical practitioner.

• Be up-to-date on vaccines, de-worming, and tic-and-flea control – which is made easier by us giving that to you when your dog donates.

• Not be on any medication.

• Not have any history of having received a blood transfusion, because that can cause a reaction. If your dog has a blood transfusion, they can’t be a donor, because the blood that they donate will react in the dog they give it to.

Cats need to:

• Be between one and eight years old.

• Weigh more than 4.5kg.

• Be negative for feline AIDS, and feline leukaemia. If you’re not sure, there’s a snap test we can run that takes just a drop of blood, which will tell us.

• Be up-to-date on vaccines, de-worming, and tic-and-flea control.

• Not be on any medication.

• Not have any history of having received a blood transfusion

Also read: Randburg SPCA hosts wellness day for neighbourhood pets

Dr Shira Samson reflects on a cute incident where she found herself treating exotic pets in distress.

Although the Bryanston Veterinary Hospital (BVH) doesn’t specialise in exotic pets like birds, snakes, hamsters, and mice – a vet’s job remains to treat all patients as best as can be done. Dr Shira Samson, from BVH, reflected on a recent incident wherein she found herself treating two exotic pets following a fight which broke out between the pair of animals.

“I actually treated two hamsters that got into a fight the other night. Yeah, they were in the same cage, and then, all of a sudden, they just started going at each other,” Samson recalled with a chuckle. “There was lots of little bite wounds, so we had to clean the little bite wounds up, gave them antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory medication. Normally, we refer them to the exotic’s clinic down the road: they went over to the clinic the next morning.”

Ever wonder what the world would be if dogs could talk, and hold down jobs? Meet Remy…

Everyone always thinks that their dog is the smartest, most intelligent, and most adorable canine on the planet. Even the best of dogs in Johannesburg North will struggle to hold a torch to monsieur Remy Fletcher, Abigail Fletcher’s employed tricolour Pembroke Welsh corgi.

In an interview with Fletcher over Remy on September 2, she offered a fresh perspective in choosing to respond to the questions asked as Remy, on her companion’s behalf.

“Woof, woof, woof… Oops, apologies, I forgot humans cannot speak my home language,” said a Remy, personified in writing by Fletcher. “Not to brag, but I am the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite breed.”

Trained through The Smart Service Dog programme in Randburg, Remy (who turns four years old this year) claimed to have become ‘the caretaker of Miss Abbey’ a year ago.

“I am her service dog. My human has epilepsy, and there is no medical device that can pick up a seizure before it occurs,” woofed Remy. “My nose is the only technology available that can detect a seizure up to an hour before it happens. I can alert to the subtle physiological and behavioural changes caused by a seizure.”

Though, that isn’t Remy’s only job, no. Remy applies their other superpowers at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s (SADAG) call centre.

“There, I comfort the counsellors when I am off duty from helping my human,” Remy woofed. “After a difficult call, counsellors love coming to give me cuddles and I feel very welcome there. I have been told that I absorb all the counsellors’ stress at the suicide call centre.”

Remy’s second job is at the Ann Harding Cheshire Home in Northwold, where residents can pet, interact with, and learn more about him.

“The residents come to train my canine peers so that when a fully trained service dog is ready to be allocated to a human, they would have been exposed to all kinds of different environments, people, and tasks.”

Everywhere he goes, Remy maintains his visibility by wearing his service dog jacket towards making public spaces accessible to him, especially when he’s on duty as a service dog.

“I encourage people to respect my job when I am on duty. This includes not distracting me, and not feeding me,” Remy barked. “Although, I must admit, I do enjoy Woolies Biltong, but I know I must resist and remain focused.”

When he’s not working, Remy visits Doggy Daycare with Erin Wale – through which he recently passed his KUSA Canine Good Citizen test with flying colours with Wale’s careful guidance.

“My brother, Baxter, and I have made lots of furry friends there and we get to play games all day long,” Remy woofed in conclusion. “Erin also assists in training me so that I know how to be the goodest boy.”

If you would like to know more about the programme, or donate to a good cause, please check out the BackaBuddy campaign at: Backabuddy.co.za/campaign/smart-service-dogs.

Previously published Pets, and where they’re from
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