Doctors of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) in Bidar on Tuesday conducted a rare blood transfusion in dogs.
A dog suffering from low blood haemoglobin was brought from Vijayapura for treatment to Bidar.
A team, led by Vivek Kasarallikar, professor of medicine, conducted the three-hour-long procedure of drawing blood from a donor dog and transfusing it to the patient dog and saved its life.
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The Labrador was suffering from lack of energy for two weeks and its owners took him to veterinary officer Bheemashankar in Vijayapura. He contacted KVAFSU and asked the pet keepers to take it to Bidar. On the advice of Dr. Kasarallikar, they took a donor Labrador along with them.
Investigation revealed that the patient dog had anaemia and haemoglobin count was just 5 per cent, against a normal 12.
“Just like human beings, there are blood groups in dogs, but several times, it is enough if the donor dog is from the same group as the patient dog,” Dr. Kasarallikar said. Doctors determined the acceptability of the blood by cross matching the two blood samples. Drawing took around one hour and infusion around two hours, he said.
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The dog is now recuperating in the university’s hospital.