Blood Donor Program

LVMC Companion Animal Blood Bank

Saving lives one unit at a time.

Did you know your dog or cat can be a hero and save a life by giving blood?

Mission: Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center Companion Animal Blood Bank was established at Iowa State University in 1998. Volunteer donor dogs and cats are owned by students and staff at Iowa State, as well as local community members. The blood bank service would not be possible without the commitment of our blood donors and their families. The blood bank provides blood products as needed for our hospital canine and feline patients.

Examples of dogs and cats that might require a blood product transfusion include: 

• Emergency/trauma patients 
• Patients that require pre- or peri- operative surgical stabilization 
• Patients that have exposure to rodenticides or other toxins (poisons) 
• Anemic patients with acute or chronic diseases 

Our blood bank provides numerous canine and feline blood products such as:

• Canine and feline packed red blood cells
• Canine and feline fresh frozen plasma
• Cryoprecipitate, Platelet-rich plasma and whole blood are available as needed.

Our donor selection and screening protocols, follow the blood banking guidelines set by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (see consensus statements).

Online Submission Forms

• Donor Dog Submission Form
• Donor Cat Submission Form

Canine blood donor requirements:

• Greater than 50 pounds
• 1–5 years of age
• Spayed/Castrated
• Acceptable temperament
• Current on vaccinations
• Have never received a blood transfusion
• Not used for breeding
• Not taking any medications except heartworm or flea/tick preventative
• Successfully complete the free donor screening process
• Minimum service requirement is 3 years

Feline blood donor requirements:

• Greater than 10 pounds
• 1–5 years of age
• Spayed/Castrated
• Acceptable temperament
• Current on vaccinations
• Have never received a blood transfusion
• Not used for breeding
• Not taking any medications except flea/tick preventative
• Successfully complete the free donor screening process
• Minimum service requirement is 3 years

Benefits provided to blood donor animals by the VMC

• One bag of food on day of donation
• Routine vaccinations
• Heartworm testing & preventatives
• Flea/tick preventatives
• Preventative health examinations
• Full annual physical exam by a licensed veterinarian

Product Offerings

1. Elanco
2. Boehringer Ingelheim
3. Hills/Purina/Royal canin
4. Treats-on-a-leash

Frequent Questions

How much blood is collected?

• Dogs will donate 450ml, equal to a pint of blood
• Cats will donate 60ml

How often can my pet donate?

• Donor dogs can safely donate as often as every 3 weeks, depending on the hospital need.
• Donor cats safely donate no more than once every 6 weeks, depending on the hospital need. 

Does this procedure require sedation?

• Light sedation may be used for the donation process