Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
Using Quantitative Real-time PCR to Determine Donor Cell Engraftment in a Competitive Murine Bone Marrow Transplantation Model
Published on: March 7, 2013
Why some canine and feline blood donors do not make the cut: A cohort study
Marjanne Descamps1, Karen Humm1
1Clinical Science and Services, The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, UK.
Insights
Many cats and dogs are rejected or leave blood donation programs early due to medical or temperament issues. Owner engagement is crucial for successful donor selection and retention in veterinary medicine.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Science
- Biomedical Science
Background:
- Limited research exists on selection and retention of veterinary blood donors compared to humans.
- This study addresses the gap by investigating reasons for canine and feline blood donor rejection and withdrawal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and categorize the reasons for disqualification and early departure of canine and feline blood donors.
- To inform strategies for improving the efficiency and success rate of veterinary blood donor programs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of donor records (dogs and cats) from 2014-2019.
- Categorization of rejection reasons (sign-up) into medical and temperament.
- Categorization of withdrawal reasons (pre-retirement) into medical, temperament, and owner-related factors.
Main Results:
- Cats (20.8%) were significantly more likely to be rejected at sign-up than dogs (5.2%), primarily for medical reasons.
- Temperament issues were a common reason for both species to leave the program early.
- Owner-related and medical reasons also contributed significantly to early withdrawal from the donor service.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of potential veterinary blood donors are unsuccessful due to medical and temperament barriers.
- Effective owner communication, understanding, and motivation are vital for successful donor recruitment and long-term retention.
- Optimizing donor selection and retention can improve cost-effectiveness of veterinary blood banking services.
Background:
While there has been extensive investigation into the selection and retention of human blood donors, veterinary research in this area is limited. This study aimed to identify the reasons for the rejection and withdrawal of canine and feline blood donors from a blood donation programme.
Methods:
Records of cats and dogs presenting as prospective blood donors and/or donating between 2014 and 2019 were analysed. Reasons for rejection at sign-up were categorised into medical and temperament. Reasons why animals left before retirement age were categorised into medical, temperament and owner related.
Results:
Data from 362 dogs and 134 cats were analysed. Cats (20.8%) were more likely to be rejected than dogs (5.2%) at sign-up, mostly due to medical reasons. Both species often left the blood donor service early due to temperament reasons. Owner and medical reasons for leaving early were also common.
Limitation:
This was a retrospective study with subjective assessment of temperament.
Conclusions:
Inability to donate due to temperament and medical reasons is common. When recruiting blood donors, it should be recognised that a fairly high proportion will not be successful. Owner understanding and motivation are essential to ensure successful selection and retention of donors, which allows amortisation of recruitment costs.
Related Concept Videos
02:45Blood Transfusion and Agglutination
History
The history of blood transfusion dates back to the 17th century, when early attempts were made in animals. In 1818 James Blundell, a British doctor, performed the first successful human blood transfusion. Later in 1900, Karl...
01:15Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...