Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) officials have urged residents of Ludhiana to register their pet dogs as blood donors, drawing a parallel to how human blood banks once revolutionized emergency medicine. The university already operates a canine blood bank and recently conducted a workshop on blood transfusion in pets and livestock.
Workshop on Blood Transfusion
The Department of Veterinary Medicine organized a one-day workshop titled 'A Practical Approach to Blood Transfusion in Pets and Livestock.' The event saw participation from veterinary officers of the Department of Animal Husbandry, faculty members, and postgraduate students.
Life-Saving Intervention
Department head Sushma Chhabra emphasized that blood transfusion is increasingly recognized as a life-saving intervention in veterinary emergency care. She noted that animals suffering from severe blood loss due to accidents, surgery, parasitic infestations, poisoning, hemorrhagic diseases, and anemia often require urgent transfusion.
Importance of Training
Vice-Chancellor JPS Gill underscored the significance of capacity-building programs, stating that the demand for specialized veterinary services is rising rapidly, particularly in emergency medicine and critical care. He added that training initiatives help veterinarians stay updated with modern diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, ultimately improving animal welfare, livestock productivity, and healthcare outcomes for pets and farm animals.
Hands-On Sessions
Participants attended expert lectures and practical sessions covering donor selection, blood collection techniques, grouping and cross-matching procedures, product storage, handling protocols, and safe transfusion practices.
Call for Voluntary Donation
Sujata Turkar, in-charge of the blood transfusion unit, stressed the need to foster a culture of voluntary blood donation and urged pet owners with healthy adult dogs to register their pets as donors.
