Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them the duty of care as we do to children.
-- Children's author
Michael Morpurgo
Summer is a time to let loose and have some fun. But it can also be a time of accidents. Heat, travel and recreational activities can put us in situations where we might need medical care.
The American Red Cross is asking us to step up and donate blood as need increases in summer.
I know I've written about it before, but blood donation is a pet project of mine. I've donated for years. I'm not a hero, not a life saver, not a first responder. But in a matter of about 30 minutes I can do a simple act of kindness that could save the life of someone I don't even know.
And if that's not enough, sometimes they give out T-shirts and other goodies, and they always offer post-donation snacks and drinks.
For information or to schedule a donation, go to redcross.org. The site lists local donation centers and blood drives by ZIP code.
BLOOD FOR PETS?
All this thinking about blood donation turned my thought to other loved ones that could need blood -- our pets. For many, their pets are like children, and when they're sick it can be distressing. We love them and want to keep them happy, active and healthy -- and alive.
There is no Red Cross for pets, but animal blood donation does go on.
I found an article on the website of the Humane Society of the United States (humanesociety.org) titled "Life-Savers: Dogs Who Donate Blood."
The article details the experiences of Inga Fricke, director of sheltering and pet care issues for the society. After hearing about the need for canine blood to help sick and injured dogs, Fricke thought her rescued greyhound, Ripley, might be able to help. She started by going to her veterinarian, who just happens to operate a regional animal blood bank. Ripley soon became a regular registered donor.
I wondered about Arkansas and did some internet digging that turned up no listings for animal blood banks. So I called one of central Arkansas' emergency pet clinics for a little information.
A very helpful fellow answered the phone. I first asked if he knew of any animal blood banks in the state, and as I suspected, there are none.
Normally, he said, the clinic gets its supply from a blood bank in California. But in times of crisis, such as when they received an influx of animals from Hurricane Katrina, they will use staff pets whose blood has already been typed.
Canine and feline blood have a shelf life of 30 to 35 days. But a lot of smaller veterinary practices don't need pet blood often enough to keep a supply on hand that might eventually go bad.
There are different canine blood types, but their designations are numbers, not letters. They relate to naturally occurring antibodies in the canine's blood.
In an emergency, most dogs can take any type of blood the first time. But after that infusion, the antibodies in the blood can cause an adverse reaction so veterinarians want to give the correct type to the patient after that.
Felines have three types -- A, B and AB. There is no universal donor. A and B need that specific type. AB can take either.
Cats given a noncompatible blood transfusion can develop life-threatening reactions because of naturally occurring antibodies in their immune system that would recognize the wrong type as foreign and attack it. The main thing is to make sure the cat is always matched to the correct type.
Thankfully, my incredibly spoiled pet children have never needed an infusion of blood. But if they ever do, it's nice to know it will be available.
Email me at:
rboggs@arkansasonline.com
ActiveStyle on 07/04/2016