MIRACLE OF TINY KITTEN SAVED BY EMERGENCY BLOOD DONATION – FROM A DOG
Source: Mirror (Extract)
Posted: Nov 23, 2019
Distraught charity boss Maureen Franklin rushed the poorly kitty to Vets Now in Gateshead – and animal medics took drastic measures to keep her alive.
A tiny four-week old kitten has been saved from death’s door thanks to a blood transfusion… from a dog.
Little Ellie weighed just 10oz when she was taken to Vets Now in Gateshead.
Cat lover Maureen Franklin, 68, founder of charity New Beginnings Cat Rehoming, brought her in.
She said: “When she went in she was nearly dead and so weak she could barely lift her head. She had no red blood cells and her gums were actually white.
“Because a transfusion was so urgent, they did it with blood from a dog.”
There was no time to find a suitable cat donor so veterinary nurse Helen Spry, of Vets Now, stepped in to save the day and offered her dog Bella.
The drastic inter-species procedure, known as a xenotransfusion, kept desperately ill Ellie alive in the short term, but she soon took a turn for the worse again.
Emergency vet Sara Jackson said: “Blood transfusions between two species are not common. But if we didn’t do it, she would have died.
“Although the xenotransfusion kept her going for several days, it wasn’t enough and she deteriorated again and we needed to organise a feline blood donor.” With time quickly running out, Maureen put out an urgent call to her charity’s 6,000 followers.
A perfect match was found in the nick of time and little Ellie was soon showing signs of a remarkable recovery.
Sara said: “She somehow made it through the night and in the morning she was much brighter and even eating and playing.”
Kind-hearted New Beginnings supporters rallied round to meet the cost of the treatment and Maureen was thrilled to have the kitten back.
She said: “It was amazing to see how well she looked. Vets Now did an amazing job and we’re so grateful to them.
“Just the previous week I had two cats die before I could get them help, so it was beautiful to get her home.”
Sara added: “We had multiple critical cases in the clinic that night and our vet nurse Helen suggested trying a blood transfusion because there was no other option. “She was transfusing the kitten while closely monitoring another critical patient that I was working on. It was awesome teamwork.”
Vets Now has more than 60 surgeries which are open through the night to treat pet emergencies.
