Canine Blood Types Why It Is Important To Know You Canine Blood Types

by

Lena Butler

Getting your own pets, dogs for example, is not a cinch. It is like taking care of your own son or daughter. You should learn what to feed them. You must learn how to groom them. And you must know what to do when they are sick. Finding out your canine blood types can help you prevent your dog from any infectious diseases.

Like humans, dogs also have blood types. However, canine blood types are not the well-known ABO system.

Although dogs are said to have eight major blood types (DEA 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and so on) out of the 13, DEA 1.1 positive is the most common. Forty to forty-five percent of all dogs have a universal canine blood type recognized as DEA 1.1 positive. These dogs are considered as a universal recipient. This means that all DEA 1.1 positive dogs can receive transfusions from other dogs of any blood type.

DEA 1.1 negative dogs are considered universal donors. Dog breeds such as the German Shepherds, Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Irish Wolfhounds, Boxers and Greyhounds are frequently identified as universal blood donors. Particularly sixty percent of Greyhounds have DEA 1.1 negative blood.

DEA 4 (positive) dogs and DEA 6 are also ideal donors. Donor dogs should be one to seven years old, 50 pounds at least, in good shape, vaccinated, and is docile (especially during the process). Only those with universal canine blood type can be accepted as donors.

It is important to know our canine blood types because like humans, recipients should match the donor (transfusion) although for dogs, the process is not as complicated and as rigid as for humans. In most cases, a good candidate for a recipient and blood donor is a dog tested as negative for DEA 1.1–nonetheless, any dog can be a recipient of the universal canine blood type notwithstanding its own blood type.

Unlike humans, dogs do not have problems with mismatch blood transfusion. Because dogs do not have antibodies that instantly recognize and attack foreign invaders, dogs can get a transfusion from other dogs that are of different blood type. However, if more blood is needed in the process or for the pet’s safety, a compatibility test is done.

For compatibility, DEA 1.1 negative blood should go with DEA 1.1 negative blood. DEA 1.1 positive can be transfused to DEA 1.1 negative or positive blood. Tests can be easily done by a veterinary through basic blood test.

Besides the compatibility issue, it is not just important to know you canine blood type but more importantly, the blood donated must be free from infectious diseases like Leishmaniasis and Babesiosis, which are common diseases attributed to blood transfusion.

Lena Butler, the author of

Health & Drug Testing Information Center

a longer version of this article is located at

Canine Blood Types: Why It Is Important To Know You Canine Blood Types

, and resources from other home health and wellness testing articles are used such as

Blood Test

.

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com