Donation Criterion
In dogs, the blood group system is dependant on the presence or absence of specific antigens on the surface of their red blood cells. The two most common of such systems are the DEA (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen) system and the Dal system. The former is more clinically relevant and commonly used for blood transfusions; the 13 types of which are listed below:
- DEA 1.1 positive (DEA 1.1+)
- DEA 1.1 negative (DEA 1.1-)
- DEA 1.2 positive (DEA 1.2+)
- DEA 1.2 negative (DEA 1.2-)
- DEA 3 positive (DEA 3+)
- DEA 3 negative (DEA 3-)
- DEA 4 positive (DEA 4+)
- DEA 4 negative (DEA 4-)
- DEA 5 positive (DEA 5+)
- DEA 5 negative (DEA 5-)
- DEA 7 positive (DEA 7+)
- DEA 7 negative (DEA 7-)
- DEA 1.1 and DEA 1.2 double negative (DEA 1.1-/1.2-)
Depending on their blood group, dogs can also be classified as “universal donors” or “universal recipients”. Universal donors are dogs with ‘DEA 4-‘ blood type, as they can donate blood to dogs with different blood types without causing adverse reactions. Universal recipients are dogs with ‘DEA 1.1-‘ blood type, as they can receive blood from dogs with different blood types without causing adverse reactions. But ‘DEA 1.1+’ and ‘DEA 1.1-‘ are the most critical blood types when it comes to blood transfusions.
If a dog needs a blood transfusion, it’s essential to match the donor’s blood type with the recipient’s to avoid potential transfusion reactions. This is why veterinarians perform blood typing and cross-matching before blood transfusions to ensure compatibility and safety. If a dog receives an incompatible blood type, it can lead to a life-threatening reaction.
It’s also worth noting that the prevalence of different blood types can vary among dog breeds and populations, which means that donor dogs don’t have to belong to the same breed as the recipient dogs to donate their blood.