Blood donor cats - Experiences

[Antonio65]

My cat Giada's sister is at the local shelter and has been diagnosed with IMHA which seems not to respond to the therapy. She has been on prednisolone (5 mg twice a day) for a week now, yesterday the vets added the Chlorambucil (2 mg every three days).
The vets are advising about a blood transfusion, and because this cat is Type B as is my Giada, the vets would like to use my cat as a blood donor. The transfusion will be done tomorrow morning.

Did anybody of you used your cats as blood donors before? Experiences?
The vets told me that it is absolutely safe for the donor cat, and that there are no effects afterwards, but I would like to read some experiences, in terms of how your cat was feeling after donating their blood, what cares you had to follow afterwards. More food? Less play? Else?
Giada will be slightly sedated for the blood donation, but she will be able to come back home right after that.

The downsides for Giada would be that she's hemophiliac, and she's also positive for calicivirus, which she likely got somewhere before I adopted her.
Hopefully these two issues won't affect the process. The vets are positive that everything will be fine.
Thanks.

 

[Alldara]

Hopefully someone will have some personal experience for you. In the meantime, I thought a factsheet might be helpful.

Blood Donor Cats | International Cat Care.

 

[Antonio65]

Thanks!
Some of the tips in the article don't match what the vets told me at the clinic.

My cat is mostly indoor, she only walks in the backyard on the leash, or strictly supervised. She's fully vaccinated, she's 3.5 yo, slightly over 4 kg, healthy apart from the calicivirus mentioned above. She had a recent blood work done, along with other checks, and everything is fine. The only issue is her hemophilia.

The vets didn't mention fluids to be given while donating, or even after. They compared this donation to the human one, where human donors do not usually receive fluids meanwhile or afterwards.
BP reading might be a good safety measure, I will mention it tomorrow.

 

[Alldara]

The vets didn't mention fluids to be given while donating, or even after. They compared this donation to the human one, where human donors do not usually receive fluids meanwhile or afterwards.

Fluids during and after I think the article said it's for larger donations Your vets must be doing a smaller one then.

 

[Antonio65]

Fluids during and after I think the article said it's for larger donations Your vets must be doing a smaller one then.

They talked about 30 to 40 ml, if I remember it right.

 

[silent meowlook]

I’m sorry, that would be a hard no from me. There are many type B cats out there. Most purebred will be B. I would not use my own cat.

I have in the past but I don’t think the stress to the cat is worth it when there are plenty of healthy young B cats out there.

 

[silent meowlook]

Ok. I didn’t read and comprehend fully. I thought the donor cat was on meds, not the one receiving the donation. I take it all back. Going to shut up now. Sorry for any confusion.
My cat did okay after donation. I did give him fluids.

 

[Antonio65]

I’m sorry, that would be a hard no from me. There are many type B cats out there. Most purebred will be B. I would not use my own cat.

I have in the past but I don’t think the stress to the cat is worth it when there are plenty of healthy young B cats out there.

No problem for the confusion, probably my post wasn't clear enough

My vets do not know other type B cats.
The other cat that I know had been sick in the past, so she's not suitable as donor.

She is one of Giada's "relatives" , and this is worrisome, because it seems that the type B blood in the family carries other blood issues along.
The recipient cat (my cat's sister) has this hemolytic anemia that isn't responding.
Another type B cat (from the same colony/family) had the same problem three years ago, but she made it after several weeks of cortisone.
Another type B cat (again from the same colony) didn't make it, and died from a sudden anemia on the day we were waiting for a donor.

My cat Giada has this hemophilia, but she is fine now. The fact that her sister got almost suddenly sick with this anemia worries me. If this thing runs in the family, she could got sick any moment

Anyway, tonight the recipient cat was feeling very bad, her conditions worsened a lot since this morning, I fear she couldn't make it to tomorrow

 

[Kflowers]

For several years I had two large male cats, neutered, both weighing at around 12-14 pounds, not fat. They were blood donors so the vet could use his own cats and call me if they needed more so they wouldn't need to keep cats at the clinic living the cage life. We did it until the boys were 10 years old which is when they vet said they should retire from donating. I don't remember how often they donated but I think not more than once a month. In exchange they got a bit of a grooming when they were under for the donation since they both tended to get mats and were adverse to being brushed.

 

[silent meowlook]

Oh, I am so sorry the other cat is feeling that poorly.
Where I live we have animal blood banks and also some emergency hospitals have their own blood banks as well. Sadly the banks are for dogs.
When I worked at the Cat Hospital, the owner veterinarian bred Bengals so there was always a supply of B available. For type A cats staff members would use their own cats, provided they were healthy and above the weight cut off.

 

[Antonio65]

This morning we had the appointment for the blood transfusion.
My cat, Giada, would have been the donor.
Her sister, Sunny, was the recipient.

Unfortunately, Sunny didn't make it and passed away in the night
I found her dead this early morning at the shelter.
I was kind of expecting this, but it was shocking nonetheless.
And I am still shocked.
RIP Sunny, I hope you free and happy now.

 

[Alldara]

Sorry to hear that

 

[silent meowlook]

Oh Antonio, I am so very sorry. It is a horrible disease, and it seems like she made her own choice to leave on her terms. I am so sorry. You did all you could to help her. It is just a horrible disease.

 

[fionasmom]

Antonio I am so sorry. You do everything possible for your cats and I firmly believe that those possibilities had run out for Sunny.

 

[Antonio65]

Thanks everybody for your words.

That poor kitty had a sad life. She was rescued along with her siblings (my Giada among them), her mother and father, in December 2019. Her parents were spayed/neutered, two brothers found a family in no time, she was the last one to have a family, a week after the others.
She never settled in her new home, she would live under the sofa and only eat at night. She would growl or hiss at her owners, until they decided to surrender her back to the shelter five months later.
She had a bad character, and she was never completely healthy-looking, but she would recover soon... until a few days ago.
Poor little kitty

 

[Kflowers]

It appears a sad life on first look, but if you look a little deeper, it was a better life than if she hadn't been rescued. Yes, she was returned, but while she was hiding under the sofa there were people extending love to her. The love surrounded her even when she was too afraid to share it. They returned her, because they hoped someone else would make her happy where they could not. Is that not one of the greatest gifts of love anyone can make? Now that the angels hold her and explain the depth of love to her. Her fears are soothed, her heart will open.

 

[artiemom]

Oh, Antonio, I am so so sorry... ((hugs)).

 

[Antonio65]

Oh, Antonio, I am so so sorry... ((hugs)).

Thanks so much artiemom , I appreciate your words
Sunny will be privately cremated in three hours. She'll come home with me later today.

 

[AbbysMom]

On behalf of the Team we are so sorry for your loss, Antonio. As you know, threads are locked after a loss as a sign of respect. When you feel up to it, please start a memorial thread for Sunny.

Rest in peace, Sunny.