Eligibility and Blood Types
Eligible dog/cat:
- Be healthy and friendly
- Be between the ages of 1 and 7
- Donate at least 4 times a year
- Weight 50 lbs. or more (dogs)/ 10 lbs. or more (cats)
If your dog or cat meets the above minimum requirements, and you are interested in checking further to see if he or she can become a Blood Donor – call Dr. Cristina Iazbik, managing director, at (614) 688-8460 to set up an appointment.
At your scheduled appointment, your pet will receive a physical from either Dr. Iazbik or Dr. Guillermo Couto. Blood will be drawn for CBC, profile, heartworm test, typing and tick titers. All results should be back within 3 weeks, and you will learn of your pet's donor eligibility status at that time.
Three types of blood donors
When dogs and cats are evaluated for donor eligibility, their blood is "typed" and classified into one of the following three categories:
Dogs (Canines)
- Universal - Any dog can receive Universal blood
- Positive - Only Positive dogs can receive Positive blood
- Plasma - In these dogs, we cannot use their red blood cells, however we can use their blood plasma
Cats (Felines)
- A - Most common, but can only be given to Type A cats
- B - More common in pure breed cats… can only be given to Type B cats
- AB - Very rare, cannot be used as donors
