Episode 19 – Your Pet Could Save a Life: Blood Donor Programs for Dogs and Cats with Dr. Pierre Charlebois, DACVECC
You’ve probably heard about blood donation for humans, maybe you’ve even donated yourself. But did you know that our pets can be lifesavers, too? Today, we’re diving into a topic that doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves, but one that’s vital to saving animal lives every single day: animal blood donor programs.
In this episode, Dr. Pierre Charlebois discusses everything you need to know about animal blood donor programs. We’ll explore what these programs are, why they’re so critical for veterinary medicine, and how donated blood is used in emergencies and medical treatments. We’ll talk about which pets make good candidates, what the donation process actually looks like, and most importantly—how your pet could become a hero.
If you’re curious about getting your pet involved or you simply want to understand more about animal blood donor programs, this episode is for you.
** We had to reschedule our human blood drive but hope to reschedule in the future! **
[Music]
Narrator:
Welcome back to Did You Know?, a podcast by Partner Veterinary. In this series, we dive into everything veterinary medicine and everything Partner. In each episode, we tackle some of the most common questions we hear — from HR to emergencies and everything in between. If it happens at Partner, we’ll talk about it.
Today’s topic: your pet could save a life. You’ve probably heard about blood donation for people—maybe you’ve even rolled up your sleeve yourself. But did you know that dogs and cats can be donors, too? Somewhere out there, another animal’s life might depend on it.
From emergency surgeries to cancer treatments and trauma cases, donated blood is quietly saving animal lives every single day. Yet, most pet parents have no idea these programs even exist.
Here to pull back the curtain is Dr. Pierre Charlebois, critical care specialist at our Richmond location.
We’ll cover what animal blood donor programs actually are, why they’re so critical to modern veterinary medicine, which pets make good candidates, and what the donation process really looks like—so you can decide if your dog or cat has what it takes to be somebody’s hero.
Dr. Pierre Charlebois:
My name is Dr. Pierre Charlebois. I’m one of the two staff critical care specialists here at Partner Veterinary in Richmond. My role is mainly to look after patients in the ICU—the intensive care unit—and to support our ER doctors when they have difficult or unusual cases. Beyond the clinical side, I also take on a lot of roles to help elevate our hospital’s medicine—things like starting programs, such as our blood donor program or antibiotic stewardship initiatives, so everyone can benefit.
Jen Mellace:
Thank you so much, Dr. Charlebois, for speaking with me today. We’re going to talk about blood donor programs for pets. Can you start by explaining what an animal blood donor program is, and why it’s so important to veterinary medicine?
Dr. Charlebois:
Absolutely. Blood donor programs in the veterinary world are similar to those in human medicine, just on a smaller scale. There’s a common misconception that animals don’t need as many resources as people, but the reality is a lot of our patients require blood transfusions. Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult for us to get those resources in a hospital setting.
For example, in human medicine, you can order blood quickly from a big stockpile. For us, unless we run our own blood bank, we’re often relying on regional companies to ship blood products—and sometimes, we don’t get shipments for weeks or even months. That unpredictable supply can really impact our patients. So, especially in a hospital like ours that sees the sickest patients, it’s critical we have these tools available.
Jen Mellace:
What types of emergencies or medical conditions typically require animals to receive blood transfusions?
Dr. Charlebois:
It’s really a wide spectrum, both medically and surgically. The most obvious cases are trauma patients—like those hit by a car, who may have internal or external hemorrhage. Another common scenario is older dogs with abdominal tumors that rupture and cause major blood loss. To save some of these dogs and even get them through surgery, they need transfusions.
There are also medical cases—immune diseases that break down red blood cells and cause anemia, or diseases that damage platelets and lead to bleeding. Many of these patients are transfusion-dependent until we can get their disease under control. Bone marrow diseases, similar to those in humans, can require frequent transfusions to keep pets alive while treatment starts to work. That accounts for around 90% of our transfusion cases. Less common reasons include toxicities, GI ulcerations, or surgical complications that cause bleeding.
Jen Mellace:
And as you describe this, it sounds like these situations are more common than people might think.
Dr. Charlebois:
Very much so.
Jen Mellace:
What are the basic requirements for a dog or cat to become a blood donor? Can you walk us through them?
Dr. Charlebois:
Every blood bank sets its own criteria, but there are general recommendations. For dogs, we look for healthy animals between one and eight years old. Older dogs have a higher risk of silent, age-related diseases, and our main priority is to protect our donors. Weight is also important—dogs must be at least 23 kilos (50 lbs), because the amount of blood collected is standardized by the collection bags. Smaller dogs are at higher risk if too much is taken.
For cats, the minimum is 4 kilograms, but ideally 4.5 to 5 kilograms (10 lbs or more). All donors must be healthy with no chronic illnesses or ongoing medications, and they need to have a good temperament. We want the process to be positive for them—ideally requiring little or no sedation. We also ensure they’re up-to-date on vaccinations and parasite prevention.
Jen Mellace:
Do dogs and cats have different blood types, and how does that affect matching donors with recipients?
Dr. Charlebois:
Great question. Yes, every animal has its own blood type. In dogs, the most important is called DEA (dog erythrocyte antigen), especially DEA 1, which is the main antigen that can cause immune reactions. There are others, but DEA 1 is the most clinically relevant. For cats, there are three types—A, B, and AB. The vast majority of cats in North America are type A. We test for the most clinically relevant types to ensure proper matching.
Jen Mellace:
Does breed play a role in determining if a pet is a good blood donor?
Dr. Charlebois:
Not really. Certain breeds may be more likely to have specific blood types, though. For example, Ragdoll cats are more likely to be type AB, which is less common. For dogs, some breeds are more likely to be negative for certain blood types. It’s not a pro or con, but it is something we’re aware of and why we test every donor.
Jen Mellace:
How does the screening and testing process work for potential donors?
Dr. Charlebois:
It’s not complicated. If an owner is interested, they just reach out—phone or in person. We discuss the pros and cons, and if everyone is comfortable, the first step is a physical examination by a veterinarian. We check their medical history and look for any issues that would prevent them from donating.
Next, we test for infectious diseases. Unlike in human medicine, where donations are tested every time, we test all donors when they join the program and then annually. We also do annual bloodwork, urine tests, and fecal exams to ensure ongoing health.
Jen Mellace:
Is there a fee for owners if their pets become donors?
Dr. Charlebois:
No, not in our program. We cover all costs—blood typing, annual bloodwork, and infectious disease testing. We take on the cost because we benefit from having donors available to help our patients.
Jen Mellace:
Is there typically enough supply to meet the demand?
Dr. Charlebois:
No, not often, especially for large hospitals. Smaller clinics might keep employee pets on standby, but in a referral or emergency hospital like ours, if we don’t have a stocked fridge, a patient’s life may be at risk. Shipments from suppliers can be unpredictable, which is why we started our own blood donor program.
Jen Mellace:
Can you walk us through what happens when someone brings their pet in for a blood donation appointment? What should owners expect?
Dr. Charlebois:
It’s very similar to donating blood as a human. We start with a questionnaire about the pet’s health and recent history. If everything checks out, the pet gets a physical exam and a quick blood test to make sure they’re not anemic.
The donation itself takes about 20 to 30 minutes. We shave a small area on the neck for the jugular vein, use a topical anesthetic, collect the blood, and then apply a wrap for about 20 minutes. The dog can usually go home right after, but we ask owners to keep them quiet for 24 hours.
Owners can stay during the donation if they want—some dogs do better with their owner present, others are more relaxed without. For cats, we usually use sedation, place an IV catheter, and replace some fluids afterward. Cats are typically with us for a few hours.
Jen Mellace:
Are there any drawbacks or risks for pets who donate?
Dr. Charlebois:
Not really any major drawbacks. Like any medical procedure, there are minor risks—such as reactions to the antiseptic scrub or a hematoma (a little blood bubble under the skin). These aren’t life-threatening, just uncomfortable, and don’t prevent future donations.
Rarely, if there’s an underlying condition we didn’t catch, a pet might feel weak or have low blood pressure after donating—just like people can feel faint. We monitor for that and treat with fluids if needed.
Jen Mellace:
How often can a pet donate?
Dr. Charlebois:
Generally, every 8 to 10 weeks is safe. Any more frequent, and there’s a risk of iron deficiency and trouble regenerating blood. We aim for every 10 weeks, but in emergencies, it can be done more often if needed.
Jen Mellace:
How is the donated blood stored, and how long is it viable?
Dr. Charlebois:
If you store whole blood in the fridge, it’s good for about 28 days. We usually use it well before then. If you separate it into packed cells and plasma, the cells keep for 35–42 days, and plasma can be frozen for up to five years.
Jen Mellace:
Can you share a story where a donation helped a patient?
Dr. Charlebois:
Absolutely. It’s almost a weekly occurrence, honestly. One that stands out is a young dachshund with a bone marrow disease. The dog needed transfusions every two to three weeks for three months—just to stay alive—until medication finally started working. Thanks to a robust blood bank, we were able to keep her alive until she recovered. Had we not had that supply, she wouldn’t have survived.
Jen Mellace:
If someone is interested in enrolling their pet, what should they do?
Dr. Charlebois:
We started the NOVA Blood Banking Program—NOVA stands for Network of Veterinary Angels. If you’re interested, just contact us—call the hospital, leave a message, or email the NOVA Blood Banking Program. We’ll set up a time to talk or meet and go through the screening process, requirements, perks, expectations, and risks. Our goal is to make it a stress-free, rewarding experience for both pets and owners.
Jen Mellace:
There’s an upcoming human blood drive. How will that tie into the dog and cat blood donor program?
**Unfortunately, we had to cancel the human blood drive. We hope to recschedule in the future. **
Dr. Charlebois:
We wanted to as part of kind of the startup of our blood banking program to recruit pets that are outside of the hospital employee pet family, we wanted to do kind of something neat at the same time. Partner is involved with the community in any way that they can, so we decided to do a human blood drive because that’s going to help a lot of humans at the same time. But we thought that’d be a really neat opportunity to also advertise and just give information to anybody about, you know, canine and feline blood banking as well because then maybe we were able to educate people and maybe we’ll find some people with um some interest in volunteering their animal and joining our program.
So, it was just seems like a kind of win-win situation for for all the species involved. It’s going to be appointment based. And so once a patient is accepted into the donor program after the screening process, we just keep a list of our available donors and when they’re able to donate. And what we try to do is balance keeping our blood supply available without collecting too many donors because the last thing we want is also to collect blood bags and not have them used, right? And so what’s going to happen is we’re going to with our program try to balance that and then just call whatever donor would be next on the list as eligible to donate and try to set up a time that works for everybody involved. And then if that doesn’t quite work, we’ll go to the next donor and come back and things like that. So it’s a pretty stress-free thing. You know, if somebody can’t make their their suggested appointment, we’ll find some other time. It’s not a big deal.
So it’s all going to be appointment based.
Jen Mellace:
I know I’ve heard you say a couple of times that there are perks for owners and their pets uh who do become a part of the program. Can you go over what those perks are?
Dr. Charlebois:
Yeah, so um you know what’s interesting is that in the human world they found that any kind of monetary incentives doesn’t really make a big difference in who volunteers in giving blood. because it turns out that as you would expect the people that do it have, you know, much more like altruistic intentions. Uh but we still wanted to do something nice for our donors. And so some of the things that are I think really nice for our donors because owners don’t have to pay for that is other than being blood type for free obviously you get annual blood work that we pay for which is always nice for for pets.
We also provide vaccinations and prophylactics. So heartworm medications and deworming because our donors have to be on a strict regiment without skipping any months. We want to make sure they have that access and so we actually will supply that at no cost to the owners. The last thing that our management was kind enough to offer is that for any active donors that have donated roughly in the last 6 months, if something were to happen for them and they needed our hospital services as an emergency, they get a small discount on that as well. So there’s a lot of perks that are really nice. And then um the last thing is sometimes if owners are okay with it, uh you know, be having their dog or cat on social media as little blood donor heroes as well.
Jen Mellace:
I love that as I handle the social media. And I mean those are wonderful perks because getting you know your blood work done and those uh preventatives they can quite costly. So those are really nice perks. Um and and also knowing that you’re helping another animal in need is that’s pretty cool.
Dr. Charlebois:
That’s I think that’s, you know, my experience has been that that’s what most people want for it. I mean, it’s nice to have the perks, but most people, you know, they just feel good about doing it. And a lot of people actually do it because they know a human family member or friend or anything that was in a situation that they needed multiple transfusions and then once they know that our program exists, you know, you would want to join. You want your dog to help too, right? So, it’s it’s really cute the way that people come about it.
Jen Mellace:
I love that. If somebody wanted to do this but they are not local, where would you recommend that they look for a uh donor program in their area?
Dr. Charlebois:
Yeah, it’s definitely very regionally based and the bigger centers will always have the most available blood donor program. And what my suggestion would be if you’re not in the area and you’re kind of too far for our blood banking suggestions, I would talk to your local either your family vets or maybe probably more easily your local ER or referral hospital because chances are either they have their own program or they can point you in the direction ofnthe the big regional suppliers that all those guys do is to have a huge program that enroll cats and dogs to collect blood. So they’re not affiliated with a specific hospital every single time. They would just have donation centers just like in the human world and their business practice is to collect that blood and then they ship it out to any hospital who make requests. Um but again the issue is and it’s great if they can do that because then they could help whoever it is that needs the blood.
Jen Mellace:
And then lastly, if somebody’s on the fence about doing this with one of their pets, what would you tell them?
Dr. Charlebois:
I would say that if you’re on the fence and if it’s a question of you don’t have enough information or you’re anxious about something, um I would say just talk to us, right? I mean, come ask questions, meet us in person, um see what kind of setup. We’re happy to show you things like pictures and the process. And if at the end of all the information you’re still anxious and not sure about it, then I would say just take some time to think about it because again the la we we just don’t want people to be anxious or animals to be anxious. We want people that say you know what that sounds great. I think you guys are taking all the precautions that you can so that thing goes smoothly as stress-free as we can and um you know everything usually goes well and then everybody involves feels great about it. But I would say if there’s any apprehensions, you can definitely just talk to us and if we can’t make you feel more comfortable, then you know, maybe you just think about it for a little bit longer.
Jen Mellace:
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk about this with us. It’s a really important program and thank you for taking the time to chat.
Dr. Charlebois:
Oh, my absolute pleasure. Well, I hope to see us new donors in the future and I hope we get lots of questions that we can answer.
Narrator:
“Thank you for listening to ‘Did You Know?’ Is there something about Partner that you want to know? Email us at [email protected]. Who knows? We might turn your question into an entire episode! And you can now find us wherever you listen to all of your other favorite podcasts. Subscribe now!”