Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank

Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Care (VSEC) has teamed up with Eastern Veterinary Blood Bank (EVBB) to serve as a distribution center for southern Wisconsin. EVBB is the United State’s first all volunteer canine blood bank. Canine blood products have been available through EVBB for 14 years and follows strict FDA guidelines for processing, drawing, handling, storage and shipping of the products.

As a distribution center, VSEC will stock both DEA1.1 positive and DEA1.1 negative packed red blood cells (pRBCs). By including DEA1.1 positive donor dogs in the donor pool, EVBB has greater availability of this potentially life-saving commodity. Although you can typically administer DEA1.1 positive blood to a DEA1.1 negative dog and not have an immediate transfusion reaction, there is greater risk of a delayed transfusion reaction and a much greater risk of a severe reaction with any future transfusions the patient may require. Therefore, all initial pRBC unit purchases for a given patient will include blood typing in the cost of the unit. Subsequent units are purchased at a comparatively reduced rate. All pRBC units are an estimated 125ml pRBCs and 50ml anticoagulant, therefore the label typically will indicate ~175ml of total volume.

If at anytime (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) you find yourself in immediate need of canine blood, simply contact VSEC for assistance. All you need to do is:

  1. Call us at (608) 845-0002 to confirm availability and to provide us with an estimated number of units needed.
  2. Notify VSEC whether you will also need blood administration set(s) (hemonate filters are not recommended).
  3. Send a courier or hospital representative to VSEC with a cooler (with ice packs if available) and a minimum of 1.0 ml of recipient blood in an EDTA tube for typing. The blood typing process typically takes less than 20 minutes
  4. Once blood typing is completed, or proof of previous blood typing is provided, the type specific unit(s)* will be packaged and returned to your hospital for administration. Packaging includes a product insert +/- blood administration set(s).

Alternatively, your patient can be transferred to VSEC for blood product administration and ongoing care.

Please contact Dr. Duffy if you have any questions regarding blood product use or anyone at VSEC if you have questions regarding other available services.