A leading feline hospital has joined forces with a Portugal-based group to form what it says is the UK’s first blood bank dedicated to cats.
The London Cat Clinic has joined forces with BSA-Animal Blood Bank UK, which is licensed by the VMD, following a collaboration project at BSA’s head offices in Porto.
Currently, access to cat blood products is limited, and only 18 feline donor practices are believed to exist in the UK.
Get involved
But clinic founder Jeremy Campbell said he was now “cautiously optimistic” following the collaboration and has called for pet owners to get involved.
He said: “We were collaborating to streamline some components of the donations process required specifically for UK feline blood donations, which was a great success.
“And we are now ready to forge on and grow this essential and literally life-giving process for all our feline patients in the UK.
“Many people are unaware that cats can donate blood and help other cats in need. Cat blood donations are a relatively safe and simple procedure that can literally mean the difference between life and death for the cats that require them.
“We urge cat owners to consider donating their cats’ blood and help us create a better UK cat blood bank supply that can save many cats’ lives.”
Adapting protocols
BSA director Rui Ferreira said the group was “grateful” for both the partnership and the contribution of specialists like Dr Campbell to adapting its protocols for UK application.
He added: “Our experience after working with more than 20 veterinary universities and some of the most renowned ICU units in the world has proven to us that blood components can make an undeniable difference in the outcome of critically ill patients.
“Our goal is to help as many animals as possible, ensuring that none of them die due to difficulty in accessing blood transfusions or a lack of reliable sources of blood components. In the UK, this shortage of blood components is, sadly, still a reality.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about the project is asked to email hello@thelondoncatclinic.co.uk using “FAO: Dr Jeremy Campbell Re: Blood Donor Programme” in the subject line