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Updated: Sep 13, 2025
Measurement of Tissue Non-Heme Iron Content using a Bathophenanthroline-Based Colorimetric Assay
Published on: January 31, 2022
Evaluation of Iron Status and Hematologic Parameters in Canine Blood Donors With Various Donation Frequencies
Kristina K Maier-Millar1, Kate S Farrell2, Steven E Epstein2
1William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.
Objective:
To compare the iron and hematologic parameters of dogs donating blood for the first time with those of dogs with a donation history of six or more donations in a 12-month period.
Design:
Prospective observational study.
Setting:
University teaching hospital.
Animals:
Sixty-one client-owned dogs were recruited from January 2022 to March 2023. Participants were enrolled in the institution's canine blood donor program and were either first-time blood donors or had donated six or more times in the previous 12 months (experienced donors).
Interventions:
Blood samples were collected for CBC, reticulocyte analysis, and serum iron parameters.
Measurements And Main Results:
When evaluating iron indices and hematologic parameters related to mature erythrocytes and reticulocytes, the only parameter that differed between experienced and first-time donors was mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, with mean ± SD values of 338 ± 8 g/L (33.8 ± 0.8 g/dL) and 344 ± 8 g/L (34.4 ± 0.8 g/dL; P = 0.01), respectively. Two experienced donors had a low serum ferritin concentration (150 and 120 pmol/L [54 and 66 ng/mL], reference interval: 200-1100 pmol/L [89-489 ng/mL]), including the highest lifetime blood volume donor; neither dog had other hematologic abnormalities. Serum ferritin did not differ between experienced (median: 607 pmol/L [270 ng/mL], range: 120-1290 pmol/L [54-572 ng/mL]) and first-time (median: 670 pmol/L [298 ng/mL], range: 292-2140 pmol/L [130-954 ng/mL]) donor populations (P = 0.07), and the percentage of donors with low ferritin did not differ between groups (experienced donors, 5% [n = 41]; first-time donors, 0% [n = 20]; P = 0.32).
Conclusions:
Experienced donors did not develop significant evidence of iron deficiency, microcytosis, or anemia compared with first-time donors. Blood banks could consider evaluating the iron status of donors if they donate consistently and frequently; however, iron deficiency appears to be an uncommon sequela in this population of blood donor dogs.
