Small Animal Blood Transfusions - A Practical Guide

Introduction

Blood and blood component transfusions play an important role in small animal medicine, especially in emergency clinical care. This article offers a practical review of the most relevant aspects to enable effective transfusions whilst minimizing risks. In many countries commercial blood banks now offer whole blood and blood components for transfusions in both dogs and cats; it is always important to select the product that will provide maximum benefits for the patient. The different blood products, their characteristics and indications are described in Tables 1 and 2 (1,2). [...]

Key Points

• Blood and blood component transfusions can provide red blood cells, platelets, clotting factors and plasma proteins, and may be critical for the survival of many critically ill patients.

• There are several different blood components available for dogs and cats. The veterinarian should know how to select the product for each patient that will afford the greatest benefits and lowest risks.

• Blood typing and/or cross-matching should be performed from the very first transfusion in cats, and from at least the second transfusion in dogs.

• Adverse reactions can be prevented by selecting the right donor, correctly managing blood products during collection, storage and administration, and monitoring the recipient during and after a transfusion.