Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Incentives that would increase the likelihood of donation
Figure 4 . Owners ' responses when asked what would increase the likelihood of them volunteering their dog to donate blood in the future ( n = 161 ).
Dog owners were asked what incentives would increase the likelihood of them pursuing canine blood donation ( Figure 4 ). PBBUK offers incentives to attract blood donors , such as a health examination and a goody bag containing treats and a toy for every canine donor . It is unlikely that owners of dogs that are not donors will be aware of these incentives ; yet , interestingly , in this study , 20 % of participants stated that the idea of their dog receiving such incentives would increase the likelihood of them volunteering their dog . Donor compensation has been discussed in the human literature , with many authors stating that incentives would encourage donor retention [ 17 ] . This evidence suggests that benefits could be emphasised to increase recruitment to the canine blood donor register . However , donor compensation must be carefully reviewed , as the introduction of financial rewards , as discussed by Chell et al . [ 17 ] , could create less ethical reasons to donate .
Relevance to practice
The increased demand for canine blood was identified by PBBUK , which was set up to facilitate continuous and reliable access to canine blood . PBBUK provides pre-screened and cross-matched blood products , which are a safer alternative to xenotransfusion and reduce the risk of using donors that have not been crossmatched . However , the service is dependent on owners volunteering their dogs as donors , which requires dog owners to have an awareness of the service . To bridge this knowledge gap , owners need to be educated on the importance of canine blood donation and its uses in veterinary medicine .
Donor shortages and the challenges to donation collection posed by the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in canine blood stocks running critically low , which may affect animal health and welfare , so PBBUK is actively requesting that donors come forward . It is hoped that the information gathered from this study will help to inform and support PBBUK by identifying some of the gaps in dog owners ' knowledge of pet blood donation services . This could help to increase the recruitment and retention of canine blood donors .
Veterinary practices are well placed to help PBBUK increase awareness of canine blood donation , as they interact with dog owners daily . Veterinary staff can publicise the need for canine blood donors and approach clients whose pets fit the donor criteria . Additionally , because veterinary professionals have witnessed blood transfusions , they can alleviate any owner concerns and answer their questions about the donation process , as well as adding deeper context to the appeal for blood donations .
McEachern and Cheetham [ 18 ] reviewed the human – animal bond and the idea that many pet owners consider their animal to be part of their family , and will therefore spare no expense when considering potential treatment options . Over the past decade , there has been a significant increase in owners purchasing pet insurance . This means that pet owners can now consider a wider range of specialised treatment options for their pets , which may have influenced the rise in blood transfusions being carried out within veterinary practice .
Volume 38 ( 6 ) • December 2023
41