Just like humans, dogs sometimes need blood donations if they’re ill or injured – in fact, the world’s first successful recorded blood donation was from dog to dog.
Dogs can’t receive human blood, and vice-versa, which means that some brave pups need to donate their own blood to help out their fellow canines. And one particularly heroic dog in the UK has donated a whopping 40 times – we think he deserves all the best dog treats for his efforts.
Gordon Setter Sharwood doesn’t seem to mind, however, even falling asleep during his 40th and final session. According to Pet Blood UK, Sharwood is their first dog to reach 40 sessions, and his dog mom Sue Mitchell said she was “just so delighted” that her pup has done so much amazing work.
The charity gave him an engraved gold medal to celebrate his final session, and Mitchell said: “It's about helping society and other dogs. If your dog has a suitable temperament and you have the time to go to the sessions, it's very, very worthwhile.”
The blood will be processed and sent to vets in the country to help save the lives of other dogs. So far, his blood has saved the lives of 160 dogs altogether, but Pet Blood UK’s donors retire when they get to the age of eight.
The charity was founded in 2007, after a change in laws that allowed the collection and storage of animal blood. Marketing manager Nicole Osborne said, “Since then we've seen thousands of dogs and donors every year and Sharwood is the first to have done 40 donations which is just incredible.”
Zoe Lord, the veterinary nurse who took the sample, described Sharwood as a “relaxed dog in general,” while Mitchell – whose other dogs have also given blood in the past – explained that he was a show dog, so he’s used to being handled and groomed.
The dogs get a health check before their donation, and if they’re in good condition they go through to the donor room to give 15 fluid ounces of blood. They get plenty of positive reinforcement, so often repeat donors will be excited to come in because they know they’ll get lots of treats and cuddles.
As well as being fit and healthy, dogs must be aged between one and eight, weigh more than 55lb, and have confident temperaments. Dogs have different blood types, and negative donors are in high demand because they’re universal donors – anyone can receive the red blood cells from their donations.
We hope that your pup will live and long and healthy life, but if your pup needs to go to the vet for any reason, you might find this article useful: My dog hated going to the vet until I tried these tips.
