We had a very sick dog needing a blood transfusion last week. She already had two: one from a mixed breed, and one from a Labrador. When she became anaemic again, the dog was taken to a vet on Nanking E. Rd we use for intensive care. He said she’d need another transfusion, so this time we brought in Charly, our own German shepherd.
Donors must be over 30 kg, and some breeds are better than others: greyhounds are commonly used, as their blood makes a match with most dogs; German shepherds next, with rottweillers, and then Labs and retrievers - the problem with Labs and retrievers, though, is that the platelet count can drop suddenly just a few days after the transfusion, so bear that in mind should your dog ever need one. The same happens with greyhounds, plus they yield only a small amount of plasma. Tests need to be done to ensure a good match and that the blood will do the job.
Well, the vet did a match test and Charly’s blood was found to be not up to scratch. We then offered Napoleon, our strapping German shepherd / rottweiller mix, but the vet wouldn’t accept his blood because Napoleon had just got over a cough. Instead, he told us he knew of a man with ten Labs who could bring them over to get the best match. We were told it may be a little expensive. The guy came in very soon after being called, which I thought was very nice of him. All his dogs were tested, and the best two were used for the transfusion.
We were very happy to learn that the blood transfusion had worked and our dog was almost back to normal. Then we got the bill. The vet bill was fair, as they had given us a big discount because our dog was a rescued stray. But the bill for the 400 cc of blood, from the guy with the ten Labs? NT$24,000, “generously” discounted to NT$15,000 or more (I forget the exact amounts now)!
Now, we all agree that our dog’s health is the most important thing here, and that we would have paid far more to keep her alive. The problem I have with this is that NT$60 per cc of blood is not a little expensive; it’s bloody expensive! We should have been told about this in advance!
Anyway, we’re still waiting to see if the platelet count drops. But those of you who are faced with getting a blood transfusion for a dog should be very careful about where your vet gets the blood from. We have paid for several transfusions in the past and never had to pay a penny, as the blood was donated by pets of our friends, or our vet’s own dogs.
If your own dog gets sick and needs a transfusion, by all means call us and see if Napoleon’s blood is a match, or phone other people you know who may have large dogs, particularly greyhounds, shepherds, or rotties. Do it now, so that you know who to call in an emergency. If you use one of our dogs, just make a donation you are comfortable with. Whichever dog you use, be sure it is healthy, fully vaccinated, heartworm free and being given preventives regularly, and checked every six months for infectious diseases.
Just a little info (and a small rant) for those of you who find yourselves in a similar situation. At the end of the day, of course, if time is running out, pay whatever it takes. But do be sure to ask how much first, so you don’t fall ill yourself with a heart attack when the bill comes in.