Well, who would have thought a dog would come through for a cat?
Recently, a cat found itself owing its lifeblood to none other than a dog. In order to save the cat Buttercup’s life, Florida veterinarian Dr. Sean Perry made call to use a dog’s blood. It was a risky move, but necessary given the limited options. It would have taken around 48 hours to get cat blood, but there was a dog blood bank nearby. They performed the transfusion and Buttercup not only survived, but has recovered fully!
This case echoes another that happened in New Zealand about a year ago, when a Black Labrador named Macy was able to donate blood to save cat Rory’s life.
Apparently, while the practice of cross-species transfusion (science term: xenotransfusion), isn’t common, it’s not without precedent. To date, there have been 62 cases of successful dog-to-cat blood donations. Studies have found that one-time canine to feline transfusions work, since cat’s do not have naturally occurring antibodies against canine red blood cells. However, the process can’t be repeated, as multiple transfusions can cause major problems.
In the end, it’s good to know, even if they don’t always get along, at least they can lend each other a helping paw when it counts. 🙂
To find out where pooches can donate blood to save doge (and perhaps cat) lives, check with the local animal hospitals near you!
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