16 Jun 2021
An increase in demand, coupled with a lack of awareness among new pet owners, has led to a shortage of donated tissues to assist in the repair of dogs and cats.
Vet Times
Job Title
Image © hedgehog94 / Adobe Stock
Orthopaedic vets are drawing attention to a shortage of donated tissues to assist in the repair of dogs and cats with skeletal problems.
Tissue donation has been a reality in the UK for more than 10 years, and thousands of dogs and cats have benefited from bone grafts to help stimulate bone healing.
However, with the recent increase in the pet population during the pandemic, and perhaps more dogs being injured while out and about with their owners, this has exposed a shortage in donated tissues.
Now vets are appealing to dog and cat owners to be aware of the possibility of tissue donation when their pets die.
Donating tissues, such as bone, can help repair other dogs and cats with a variety of orthopaedic issues, such as major fractures, arthritic joints and spinal instabilities.
Veterinary Tissue Bank in Chirk, Wrexham – Europe’s only tissue bank for pets – coordinates a donor register for pet owners who think they may wish to donate their pet’s tissues when they die.
John Innes, specialist veterinary orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of Veterinary Tissue Bank, said: “I helped start Veterinary Tissue Bank in 2009 because I realised there was a real need for donated tissue products to allow us to help our patients.
“Over the years, bone grafts have helped me and my colleagues return mobility to countless dogs and cats, and that’s been a real joy to see. The technology that has been developed alongside has also allowed us to deliver bone graft in ways that we could not do before, allowing for minimally invasive surgeries.”
Peter Myint, managing director of Veterinary Tissue Bank, added: “We apply the same standards as the NHS to the ethics of donation and the processing of tissues.
“In return, we help owners by supporting the costs of private cremation for their pets. Lockdown has created a big increase in demand for tissue grafts from vets, and so we are raising awareness and appealing to pet owners to consider this gift at their time of loss.”
Owners can register their pet on the donor register by visiting the Veterinary Tissue Bank website.
Veterinary Tissue Bank will then contact owners’ veterinary practices to make a note on their pet’s medical record.
