Blood Transfusions in Cats From Typing, Cross Matching, Donor Selection, Collection and Administration

Introduction
Transfusion of blood and blood products is often required in an emergency situation and when prepared and administrated correctly, can be a life saving procedure. Most frequently blood is required for patients that have occurred blood loss and are anaemic due to haemorrhage. administration of whole blood will replace blood volume and assist with stabilisation. However blood transfusion comes with risks to both recipient and donor and the risks associated should be weighed before collection of blood from the donor takes place.

Feline blood types; the Ab blood group system
Feline erythrocyte antigens (fEa)

• transfusion relevant blood types

• A, B and AB (positive or negative for the antigen)

• AB most antigenic

• no ‘universal’ donor type; vital to determine recipient and donor blood type prior to any transfusion

• cats carry naturally occurring alloantibodies reactive to the blood type antigens that they do not possess

• MiK is a relatively newly recognised feline blood type however unlike A, B and AB blood types it is not routinely tested for

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