Greyhound Blood Donors

You have probably heard of the St. Bernard dog and their inbred trait to save people who are lost and suffering form exposure. The Red Cross symbol is often connected to this breed. But did you know that the Greyhound is also a special breed with life saving qualities? Greyhounds' have a special physiological trait in that their blood is so unique that it can help save the lives of other dogs.

There are eight different blood types in dogs but approximately 70% of Greyhounds have the type that enables them to be universal blood donors. Greyhound blood differs from other dogs in that it has a higher red blood cell count, lower white blood cell count and lower platelet count. This has made Greyhounds valuable as occasional blood donors at veterinarian hospitals.

Often veterinarians will offer a Greyhound dog owner free service if they allow their Greyhound dog to be a regular blood donor. But your dog would have to be tested to see if it has the correct type of blood and this is not done if the dog is over 6 years of age or has certain illnesses or physical issues that would make it problematic for the dog to give blood.

However as in anything that is positive there can be a negative side. Abuses can occur so please be very cognisant of who you are dealing with if offering your Greyhound as a blood donor. Never give more than is good for your dog and if you suspect that someone is being unscrupulous in regard to this exchange and does not have the Greyhound's best interest at heart, do not do business with them and have them reported.