IVFT therapy unnecessary for cats after blood donation – new study finds

IV fluid therapy (IVFT) may not be necessary for feline blood donors following blood donation, which could lead to shorter hospitalisation time and less stress for donor cats, according to new research.

There is currently no consensus on the use of IVFT in cats post-blood donation.

The new study, conducted by researchers at the RVC and published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice, explored the necessity of IVFT post-blood donation in 100 client-owned cats, which were randomly assigned to either receive IVFT or no fluid therapy after blood donation.

Systolic blood pressure was measured post-donation and owners were contacted following donation to record any changes in their cat.

Reported changes

Results showed no significant difference in blood pressure between cats that received post-donation IVFT and those that didn’t.

The main reported changes were minor bruising at the venepuncture site and mild lethargy, with no significant difference between the IVFT and no-IVFT groups.

These findings suggest that IVFT post-blood donation may not be necessary, as haemodynamic stability appears to be maintained despite the loss of blood.

This could lead to several benefits, including reduced hospitalisation time and less stress for donor cats.

Less hospitalisation

Guedra Allais, lead author of the study, said: “Our study showed no significant difference in blood pressure at different time points in feline donors that received IV fluid compared to others that didn’t receive any fluid.

“This could lead to less hospitalisation time – and, therefore, less stress for our feline blood donors.

“Other perfusion parameters such as capillary refill time, heart rate and pulse quality were not evaluated, and we recommend considering intravenous fluid in any feline donors if any major changes are detected on post-donation physical examination.”