Mark and his gang at our recent Game Fair in Scone. Please note the adult dogs are all wearing their bandanas with pride.
In Just over 2 years our amazing Gordon Gang have helped to save the lives of up to 76 dogs and they wear their red bandanas with pride.
Dogs can donate blood too, just like humans. Pet blood Bank UK is a charity that was set up to support vets by providing blood services. The blood is couriered from donation sites across the UK to the processing centre in Loughboroughwhere it is separated into different products. It is then stored and sent to vets when needed 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
What we all love about our Gordon’s make them the perfect donors. Gordon’s are loving, caring, thoughtful and empathetic. A dog that in a heart beat would want to help another dog in need. Not only do our dogs donate blood, we also volunteer at the sessions. The dogs are warmly welcomed and spoilt rotten with treats and love from the staff.
Gordon Setters easily meet the necessary criteria to be a donor. The criteria are that the dogs are fit and healthy, between 1-8 years of age, weigh more than 25kgs, have good temperaments, never travelled outside UK or Ireland, vaccinated or annual titre tests after first birthday and not on any medications.
The dogs are taken through to the initial consultation room. They have a thorough health check and bloods taken. A small area of hair over the vein is clipped. After that is into the donation room where they are lifted on to the table and to lie onto their side to give blood. A highly skilled nurse inserts a cannula into their neck and the blood (approx. 450-500mls) is collected. Throughout it the nurses are calm and reassuring and the happiness and welfare of your dog is at the forefront of all concerned. It takes about 5-10 minutes to collect the blood, for the needle to be removed and the pressure bandage applied. Then the post donation health checks with lots of fuss, attention and treats.
It is then time for their photograph with the famous red bandana and home with a bag full of treats and toys. The whole sessions last about 30-40 minutes.
The pride we have in our gang is enormous. Each session they go in full of that Gordon excitement and they leave happy with a belly full of treats.
If your Gordon setter does donate blood, it is also worth letting your vet know as most vets have a lists of emergency donors. Our gang have been called in emergency situations to give blood at our local vets.
For more information, please contact pet blood bank UK at https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/ or we would be very happy to talk to you further.
Jill and Mark Yates
