HS Helsinki Hero dog-Kofi has rescued many of his companions in an inconspicuous way in Viikki – HS visited a place where miracles are performed for pets

Italian standings Kofi is used to lying on the steel table in the operating room of the University Veterinary Hospital in Viikki, Helsinki.

The vet has already examined the dog: listened to its heart sounds and lungs, asked the owner about Kof’s health, and analyzed the blood samples taken a moment ago.

The pet keeper removes the hair from a small area of ​​Kof’s neck and cleanses the skin exposed under the disinfectant pads. Everything is starting to get ready for why Kofi has come here.

The nurse inserts the needle into the dog’s blood vessel and begins collecting Kof’s blood in a transparent bag along the hose.

Kofi is a blood donor dog whose blood can save the life of another dog.

Blood count during which a couple of animal keepers and the owner hold Kof firmly, pet the dog and talk to it. They applaud and praise Kofia, who is lying still:

“Good boy! You’re brisk! All right!”

At the University Veterinary Hospital, donating dogs are not sedated. For this reason, a dog that is very stressful and resistant will not be considered a blood donor.

In a couple of three minutes, the bag contains less than half a liter of Kof’s blood. Blood collection is speeded up by a suction device. After the neck injection site has been pressed for a while, Kofi is allowed to stand on his feet.

It immediately pops upright and jumps from the table to the floor. Now is the best time to visit for Kof! It squeaks into the food pain, from which the gourmet meal quickly disappears into its palate.

“Dogs get food after they give up. They learn quite quickly that when they are lying here for a while, they will eat and come here with their tails waving, ”says the vet. Sanna Viitanen says.

Eating is a good indicator for blood bank employees and the dog’s owner, because the dog cannot tell his feelings when talking. If the dog refused to eat after the blood was taken, the donation would be too stressful for him.

Here there is an animal power department in the same building. Blood is needed in the care of dogs involved in accidents and in the demanding surgeries of canine patients. Blood transfusions are also used to treat severe anemia or blood clotting problems in dogs.

Blood must always be readily available at the veterinary hospital.

The blood donated by Kofi is divided into four parts: it becomes two bags of red blood cells and two bags of blood plasma. Plasma can be frozen, but red blood cells survive for only a few weeks.

When Kofi goes to donate blood once, at best four different dogs get help.

Multi the dog owner only wakes up to the existence of a dog blood bank when his own or an acquaintance’s pet needs blood.

However, the Blood Bank of the University Animal Hospital is constantly looking for new donor dogs. A few private veterinary stations also keep a blood bank for dogs.

There is a need, as there are already about 700,000 dogs in Finland. Canine medicine has evolved wherever humans do. Dogs live long because the owners want to take care of their pets.

What kind of dog is a blood donor then? The dog must be 2 to 7 years old, healthy and over 30 pounds. It must live in Finland and be vaccinated, parasiticized and used for tick protection. In addition, the dog must be one who has not been transfused. Mixed breed dogs are just as suitable donors as breed dogs.

If your own dog meets these criteria and is interested in surrendering, the blood bank can be contacted. The contact is not yet binding on anything, but the blood bank invites the dog and his owners for a research and testing visit.

At the time of testing, the veterinarian will examine the dog carefully. In addition, blood samples are taken to find out the blood type of the dog, the baseline blood counts about the dog’s health and whether it has any infectious diseases.

For the first time, both sides look at how the transfer is going. If a dog is found to be a suitable donor for its medical condition and blood collection is going well, it will be welcomed as a donor on behalf of the hospital.

Kofin owner Petra Penttonen has been donating blood regularly since he was 18 years old.

“I see blood donation as a civic duty,” Penttonen says.

Over the years, Penttonen has donated blood with several dogs. Blood donations can be performed with the dog every three months. Most animal hospital donors visit 2-3 times a year.

This time Pentton also has a Maine Coon Simba cat with him. Simba has passed a veterinary examination and is now awaiting a couple more weeks of blood test results. If everything is in order, Penttonen will also start using Simba as a donor in the blood bank.

“Once I can, why not help. Pretty much I get a good mood for myself. I also believe that good will come back. When I help, I am helped too. ”

The motive of many blood donor dog owners is to be in a good mood to help, but there are also practical benefits to donating blood. The veterinarian examines the donor animal at each visit. In addition, the dog receives recommended vaccinations and mite medications from the hospital.

As a thank you, you will receive a few more pounds of sack of dog food and a dog first aid kit. These times Penttonen intends to donate on to dogs in need because of the war in Ukraine.