Page 10 - Clinical Connections- Autumn 2021

RVC RESEARCH STUDY VETERINARY SERVICES RVC.AC.UK
Transfusion Medicine
THE VALUE OF THE TRANSFUSION MEDICINE

SERVICE

Charlotte Russo, Head Transfusion Medicine RVN

naemia, blood loss and transfusion stride, purring most of the time he’s with arriving at the RVC and once with us she
dependant conditions are sadly not us and he loves all the fuss and treats he required a further blood transfusion, which
A uncommon in veterinary medicine. gets when he comes in. Mia was able to go was donated by Ole. This lovely German
They can be devastating for pets, owners, home five days later and at a check-up two shorthaired pointer has now done three
and the veterinary staff treating them. There months later her blood cell levels were all donations for the hospital. Ole signed
is only one commercial canine blood bank almost back to normal. When updating us, up during the pandemic and so all his
in the UK, so demand from a busy centre her owner said: “She is back to her playful donations have been performed without his
like the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals mischievous self, without the help of a feline owners being present, which is even more
(QMHA) would deplete their supply, blood donor I believe Mia might not have impressive!
jeopardising other practices' ability to obtain had the chance to survive, like so many
products. others that have fallen victim to a dreadful
The RVC blood donor programme started illness.”
in early 2000s, performing donations from
some staff-owned dogs and cats and
visiting local practices to run blood drives.
The current programme is significantly
different – we are now a dedicated
Transfusion Medicine Service, consisting
of eight team members and over 160 dogs
and more than 50 cats on the programme.
We perform donations every day, helping
to produce products for transfusion but also
creating more specialised products like
serum eye drops for ophthalmic patients.
We are now one of the busiest veterinary
transfusion services in the world and the
only place in the UK to collect and store
feline blood products. We perform 500-800
blood transfusions a year, helping to save Mia during treatment
the lives of hundreds of pets.
This year we sadly had many cats
desperately needing blood transfusions
due to a spike in pancytopenia cases. Such
patients are at high infection risk, can be
anaemic and are prone to bleeding. Due to
the severity of this illness, the facilities and
expertise of our ECC and Internal Medicine Ole, who has donated three times
Services and our blood donor programme
having the largest feline blood donor service Our blood donor programme is always
in the UK, a significant number of cats were Jack Jack, one of our donors looking to recruit more heroes to help us
referred to the QMHA. treat patients. Please visit our website www.
Mia came to us in July when she was 11 Most years we provide around 60 feline rvc.ac.uk/blooddonors to see if a pet fits
months old after being lethargic at home blood transfusions, this year we have the criteria to be a blood donor. Otherwise
and her owners noticed she was bleeding already delivered over 100 transfusions please contact us at blooddonor@rvc.ac.uk
from her mouth. After a few tests she was to cats, along with over 430 canine blood 01707 666511. The Transfusion Medicine
quickly diagnosed as being pancytopenic. product transfusions for dogs like Lola. Service is also always available for advice
Two weeks into her three-week stay with Lola needed the help of the transfusion to other veterinary practices who require
us, her red cell count took a further drop service in August 2021, she was extremely transfusion support.
to levels where she could no longer cope unwell after suffering from sepsis following
without a transfusion. Luckily for Mia, one an acute episode of haemorrhagic
of our amazing blood donors, Jack Jack, gastroenteritis. Lola was sadly so critical
had donated blood for the hospital six days that she suffered two cardiopulmonary For small animal referrals, please call:
01707 666399
earlier and his unit was ready for her to arrests before being referred to the RVC Email:
receive. but was thankfully able to be resuscitated. qmhreception@rvc.ac.uk
It was Jack Jack’s seventh blood She needed emergency plasma and For the latest updates please visit:
donation, and he takes everything in his blood transfusions to stabilise her before rvc.uk.com/feline-pancytopenia-update

10 Autumn 2021