Advances in veterinaary medicine and pet owners increasingly willing to spend large sums on the family dog or cat have caused a nationwide shortage of blood for critically ill animals. We just can't keep up.'' Only about 5 percent of dogs meet donor criteria, Kaufman said, and animals must have vaccinations and be screened for diseases and blood disorders.
Large dogs make the best donors.
A German shepherd, for instance, can more easily part with a pint of blood than a poodle. My dogs and cats and chickens are part of my family,'' she said. Doctors at the 24-hour Animal Emergency Center in Glendale, Wis., are pleading with pet owners to boost their animal ''volunteer'' roster, Dr. Marla Lichtenberger said. Juneau, a Siberian Husky, donates every two months at the Glendale clinic. On Thursday, a technician shaved fur from a spot on his neck, then inserted a delicate needle and plastic tube in his jugular vein as he lay calmly on an examining table.