NorthWest Surgeons (Frodsham) are looking for canine blood donors.  The clinic will be held in Jan and they are looking for as many dogs as possible to donate to build up a bank to distribute over Cheshire as required.  Dogs need to be fit and healthy with no known medical problems, vaccinated, and over 25kg.  The dogs will not be sedated so only apply if you think your dog will be happy to undergo this procedure.  I can PM contact details to anyone interested :)

You are so good Susie, doing so much for others.. I put my dogs down but was told that there is a blood bank now and local vets don't take and keep blood around here..

Awww, bless you :)  I like to keep busy!!

Is this with the Pet Blood Bank?

Yes Danielle

My lab gives blood with pet blood bank, hopefully will try the fcr next time .

Is there anything like this being done in the South West?

Think Pet Blood Bank UK is all over the country. The one thing I don't like is that it is Vets Now behind them. We used to have donor dogs but when we changed vets we were automatically dropped from the scheme. Now don't have any suitable donors anyway (of the two we used, one is now too old and one has since died) as they have to be over 25 kg and no more than 7 or 8 years old (can't remember which) and I only have two dogs that fit that description. One does not have the temperament for it, the other is a show dog so I don't want him shaved. (I asked once if they couldn't do it without, they said I'd have to chose between showing or donating blood. As they take it from the neck it's harder than using the leg, there you can get away without the shaving in Malinois.)

http://www.petbloodbankuk.org/pet-owners/blood-session-locator/

Presumably dogs in Scotland don't bleed. Absolutely nothing north of the border :(

Thanks for the link Goldmali. Nothing in 10 miles radius of me. I'm kind of relieved as my 26kg dog wouldn't like being messed around with anyway, but I'd have liked to think I could help.

Bit like me, I became a human blood donor 20 years ago but only once in 6 tries was I able to donate as I was always just slightly under their threshold for iron levels. Disappointed, and gave up, but at least I tried.

> Presumably dogs in Scotland don't bleed. Absolutely nothing north of the border

I'm sure they do and there are :-)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 - Vets Now, Penguin House, Castle Riggs, Dunfermline, KY11 8SG

Saturday, November 05, 2011 - Vets Now Referrals, 123 -145 North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DA

Ah thanks for that. They weren't mentioned on the original listing. Still 200 miles from me but slightly more manageable :)

> Still 200 miles from me but slightly more manageable

Don't forget this is just one organised scheme.  Many vets have, and probably always will make, their own arrangements either with dogs they know or even their own dog in some instances. 
If you are worried about what would happen in an emergency or want to make your own dog available you can always ask your own vet. :)

Absolutely, and local rescue centres too, they tend to have lists of their own.  We're registered with a couple :)