5 May 2021
German shepherd dog whose donated pint of blood helped Mabel the cockapoo is now helping to promote Wales’ first blood donor session at Valley Veterinary Hospital near Cardiff.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
German shepherd dog Orrin had a pint of his blood donated to save Mabel the cockapoo – and is now helping the practice that performed the operation promote Wales’ first dog blood donor session.
Mabel was clinging to life after collapsing within hours of giving birth to seven puppies, and the team at Valley Veterinary Hospital in Gwaelod-y-garth near Cardiff worked around the clock to save her. She underwent emergency surgery after suffering a ruptured uterus and going into septic shock.
Orrin is on the list of dog donors, and the team contacted his owner to provide a much-needed blood transfusion to Mabel, saving her from possible euthanasia.
Now, Valley is hosting Wales’ first blood donor session for dogs on 23 May, when Pet Blood Bank UK will be in town for vital collections.
RVN Lauren Valentine, who works in Valley’s emergency out-of-hours team, is the phlebotomist running the donor session as part of the Pet Blood Bank UK team.
She said: “We perform blood transfusions at the hospital fairly frequently, so having access to blood products is essential and that is why Pet Blood Bank UK’s work is so important. Our patients need blood for all kinds of conditions, from acute or chronic anaemia to severe blood loss they may have suffered in a road traffic accidents or complicated surgery.
“The blood taken by Pet Blood Bank UK will be taken to its centre in Loughborough for processing and testing, before it is sent to practices all over the UK to be used in blood transfusions.”
To be eligible to donate, a dog must:
Owners can be directed to register their pet online.
