Pet Insurance

Blood Donations for Dogs

I'd like to take a break in my usual format and talk about a recent experience my wife and I had while walking our dogs. It helps to point out just how important restraint of your dog at all times is for the safety of your dog and of others.

A few days ago, My wife and I were walking our dog in the early morning hours when we met another owner with his cocker spaniel. We were walking our dog on a leash, but the other owner had his dog running free.

As many of you may already know, we have the pleasure of living with a 94 pound Akita named Nikki. Nikki is a very sweet dog to those that she knows. She is also very careful how she warns other dogs and people should she feel threatened. Nikki has never bitten another person, even in defense. Other dogs have come up to her who were not on leashes), and attacked her, but the most that she has done was to snarl and snap without actually biting.

My wife and I are pretty sure that if someone was really hurting either of us, Nikki would rise to the occasion and, true to an Akita's protective instincts, come to our defense. But, because we love Nikki and because we don't want to see other creatures get hurt, we are very careful to not put Nikki in situations where she may have to protect us.

So here my wife, Nikki, and I are, walking in a public field near two very busy roads. Nikki has come to attention and is staring at the other dog who is now running towards us at full speed. Nikki's ears are up, her eyes focused, and her head held steady and sure. As the dog gets closer, my wife and I wait for the owner to call his dog back.

Instead, the owner casually walks towards us with a smile on his face as if to say "Oh that dog of mine, what are you getting into now?" Nikki, mean while, begins to crouch down, hairs come up on her back, and she readies herself to confront the other dog.

I'm not sure what was going through the other owner's mind at that moment. Maybe he thought it was cute that the two dogs would get together. Maybe his dog really just wanted to play. Maybe his dog wanted to come over and sniff Nikki. Maybe his dog was aggressive and really did want to start a fight. WE DID NOT KNOW THE INTENTIONS OF HIS DOG APPROACHING, and NEITHER DID NIKKI.

We did know, however, that Nikki would view rapid approaching from the front eyes as an aggressive move that needed to be confronted The last thing that I wanted to do that morning was to end up at the hospital treating an emergency bite wound or broken bone. So I shouted, "Please restrain your dog….Nikki will fight!"

Truthfully, Nikki probably would have just growled and bared her teeth. I have never seen her bite another person or dog, yet few care to challenge her to do so. And we are very careful to see that she won't have to, because we love her.

The other owner got a look of disgust in his face and began to reluctantly call his dog. This slowed the dog's advance to a slow crawl, but he was still coming towards us. The owner then sauntered on over as if there was no crisis, and hoisted his dog beneath his arm.

We watched as he put his dog down, once again loose, at the other end of the field. We quickly escorted Nikki back home.

Why can't people see that dogs will be dogs (that is, after all, what they are!)? Just as one might protect a child from a busy road or another big dog, keep their dog restrained as an act of love and concern for their pet? It would be nice to think that there were no dangers of cars and dogs and other animals in the world around us, but that's just not the way our world is today.

If someone fails to reasonably protect and care for a child, we call this child neglect. Children can be taken away from their parents because they are not getting adequate care.

Unfortunately for our pets, there are far fewer laws that help to insure that our pets get the care that they need. Keeping a dog restrained and safe, however, should be done out of love and kindness for the creature that we have been blessed to share this life with.

When we ignore that these dangers really exist, we subject our pets to possible injury or death, and subject ourselves to potential veterinary bills.

Why would this person think that his dog approaching our dog in an aggressive manner was cute? Why didn't he care enough about his dog to keep it on a leash? Why didn't he run to his dog's rescue when I told him Nikki might fight? If he really didn't care what happened to his dog, why did he have the dog in the first place?

The sad thing about all of this is that it is the dogs that suffer in these situations. A dog gets badly bitten or worse, dies. Another dog is put to sleep because, following his instincts, he fought to defend himself or his family.

Keeping your dog under your complete control is just as much taking care of your dog as is feeding him or giving him treats. How many of us can say that 100% of the time, that if our dog was not on a leash, that there could NEVER arise a situation where our dog would remain under our complete control by verbal commands.

Nikki has been through obedience training several times and behaves beautifully in most situations. We try hard to praise her and keep her well trained.

But if there were another dog threatening my wife or I, I cannot be 100% certain that she would not act out of instinct and not according to our commands. So, because we love Nikki and would truly hate to see anything happen to her, we keep her leashed at all times. The only time she is off a leash is in our car or in our house.

So please think twice before you let your dog run "because he loves to run." Think of what the worse thing that could happen while he is romping around. If he ran away, could you really get him back before he hurt himself? Ate something bad? Got hold of a skunk? Tangled with a rabid raccoon? Fought with another loose dog?

If you really need to let him loose, feel free to bring him down to our hospital. We have installed a new obedience ring with 6-foot fences where dogs can safely be off lead. I would much rather see him running happily behind the hospital, than lying in pain IN my hospital.

So treat your dog as if he is your best friend. ALWAYS keep your dog leashed because you love him and because you want to have him around and healthy for a long long time. You dog will thank you for this. Your neighbors will thank you for this. Your veterinarian will thank you for this.

Dear Dr. Berg,
My friend told me that you could pet healthcare insurance?  Is there really such a thing?  Does it cost a lot?

Ever since I graduated from veterinary school in 1975, there have been insurance companies attempting to establish group policies that could provide insurance coverage for pet healthcare emergencies.  Most of these companies are no longer in business.
A pet healthcare emergency can result in the need of hundreds of dollars of critical care to a pet, and is usually an unforeseen expense in the family budget.  Many people would love to see such a system set-up.
To my knowledge, there is only one company offering pet healthcare insurance today.  They offer a variety of policies, just as human healthcare associations do.  In general, the more you pay in premiums, the more costs are covered by the insurance.
 Usually the client pays their veterinary bill up-front, and then submits a claim form to the insurance company.  The insurance group evaluates the charges, then reimburses the client for what has been paid already.
There is usually a deductible amount as well as a maximum benefit  pay-out.  Preventative vaccination programs, routine spaying, and treatment for genetic abnormalities (such as hip dysplasia) are usually NOT covered.
 Is it a good idea for you?  Pet health insurance offers a way to “smooth out” the cost of caring for a pet, but it is not free..  And most veterinarians will strongly agree---the cost of providing treatment for serious illnesses can present some extremely tough choices in determining the course of treatment for a loved pet.
Only you can evaluate whether pet insurance will work for you, and I’d recommend that you discuss this with your veterinarian.  Your pet and your veterinarian will love you for it!
 
 Recently I received a letter from Dr. Mark Cofone regarding owners giving blood donations from their dogs. The Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania periodically holds their blood drive at area hospitals using a specially equipped van. The blood bank is called the Penn Animal Blood Bank.

The demand for blood transfusions has risen dramatically in recent years. As veterinarians become more and more sophisticated with the level of medicine provided, it has increased the need for knowledge and application of blood transfusions. Having blood available can sometimes mean the difference between life and death for a seriously injured pet.

The Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania administers approximately six transfusions every day…more than any other animal hospital in the United States. To supply that need, they have established a volunteer canine blood donor program. Their goal is to make transfusions more widely practical and available for practicing veterinarians and their clients.

Blood contains many elements that are vital to survival: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A blood transfusion with whole blood or plasma given to an ill pet provides essential ingredients that artificial fluids simply cannot provide.

To become a blood donor for the Penn Animal Blood Bank, a dog must be healthy and between one and ten years old. He must weigh at least 50 pounds, must be current on vaccinations, must not be in heat, and must not be taking any medication other than heartworm preventative. Several blood tests will be performed before donation to be sure that your dog is healthy.

Temperament plays a role as well. The collection process takes a few minutes and most dogs relax and rest comfortably. No restraints or sedatives are used during the procedure. Owners are encouraged to be present during the donation process.

The Penn Animal Blood Bank has not observed any ill effects from the donation of a pint of blood. The donors are offered a bowel of food and water immediately after the donation is completed. This helps to replenish nutrients and serves as a reward for the donation process. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for the first 24 hours. The dog will reproduce all of the donated red blood cells within approximately 2-3 weeks.

There are many different blood types for dogs, just as in humans. One blood type (DEA 1.1) appears to be very important regarding compatibility when transfusing a dog; therefore only dogs which are negative for this blood type are enrolled in the program. These dogs are referred to as "universal donors". Donor and recipient blood will be cross-typed to help insure compatibility when transfusions are performed.

As an added bonus, once a dog donates, it becomes a lifetime member of the Penn Animal Blood Bank. If ever he needs blood for transfusion, he is guaranteed blood from the blood bank, free of charge.

For more information about how your pet can become a blood donor, contact your local veterinarian.

Many thanks, Mark, for this valuable information. A donation of blood is the gift of life. A donation of blood in honor of a lost pet can be a very meaningful act of compassion.