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IVFT unnecessary for feline blood donors, study finds
IVFT was found to have no significant impact on blood pressure.
The discovery could reduce hospitalisation for cats donating blood.

A new study from the Royal Veterinary College has suggested that cats may not need to undergo intravenous fluid therapy (IVFT) after providing a blood donation.

The findings revealed that IVFT had no significant impact on the blood pressure of feline blood donors. This could mean they have a shorter time in hospital after donating.

Despite feline blood donations being a well-recognised veterinary practice, with several studies on feline blood products, there is limited research on feline blood donors.

As such, there is no veterinary consensus on the use of IVFT after blood donation.

The study saw researchers examine the condition of 100 client-owned cats after they had donated blood. The cats were randomly assigned to either receive IVFT or no fluid therapy.

Following the donation, each cat’s systolic blood pressure was measured. Owners were also contacted to record any changes in their cat’s condition.

Researchers analysed data from 97 of the cats – 46 of which underwent IVFT while 51 did not.

The results suggested that IVFT may be unnecessary for cats, with haemodynamic stability being maintained despite the lack of blood. The only other side effects recognised was minor bruising at the venepuncture site for those receiving the therapy, and mild lethargy in those that did not.

The discovery could mean that cats have less hospitalisation time after donating, potentially reducing their stress levels.

It could also reduce costs for donation programmes, such as kennelling requirements, consumables and personnel time.

Guedra Allais, lead author of the study, said: "Our study showed no significant difference in blood pressure at different time points in feline donors that received intravenous fluid compared to others that didn’t receive any fluid. This could lead to less hospitalisation time and therefore less stress for our feline blood donors.

“Other perfusion parameters such as capillary refill time, heart rate and pulse quality were not evaluated, and we recommend considering intravenous fluid in any feline donors if any major changes are detected on post donation physical examination.”

The full study can be found in the Journal of Small Animal Practice.

Image © Shutterstock

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link

Click here for more...
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The survey will be open until Friday, 21 February 2025. UK sheep farmers are invited to share their experiences of sheep worrying by dogs and its impact on the industry.

NSA has been gathering information about sheep worrying for over 10 years as part of its campaign to raise awareness of incidents and produce new ways of educating the public.

Sheep worrying, often caused by dogs being loose near fields, can result in physical injury, miscarriage and death of animals affected.

The results of the survey will be shared with interested parties, including the UK press, before spring and ahead of lambing season next year.

For more information, or to complete the survey, visit NSA's website.