Evaluation of Iron Status and Hematologic Parameters in Canine Blood Donors With Various Donation Frequencies

Objective

To compare the iron and hematologic parameters of dogs donating blood for the first time with those of dogs with a donation history of six or more donations in a 12-month period.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Sixty-one client-owned dogs were recruited from January 2022 to March 2023. Participants were enrolled in the institution's canine blood donor program and were either first-time blood donors or had donated six or more times in the previous 12 months (experienced donors).

Interventions

Blood samples were collected for CBC, reticulocyte analysis, and serum iron parameters.

Measurements and Main Results

When evaluating iron indices and hematologic parameters related to mature erythrocytes and reticulocytes, the only parameter that differed between experienced and first-time donors was mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, with mean ± SD values of 338 ± 8 g/L (33.8 ± 0.8 g/dL) and 344 ± 8 g/L (34.4 ± 0.8 g/dL; P = 0.01), respectively. Two experienced donors had a low serum ferritin concentration (150 and 120 pmol/L [54 and 66 ng/mL], reference interval: 200–1100 pmol/L [89–489 ng/mL]), including the highest lifetime blood volume donor; neither dog had other hematologic abnormalities. Serum ferritin did not differ between experienced (median: 607 pmol/L [270 ng/mL], range: 120–1290 pmol/L [54–572 ng/mL]) and first-time (median: 670 pmol/L [298 ng/mL], range: 292–2140 pmol/L [130–954 ng/mL]) donor populations (P = 0.07), and the percentage of donors with low ferritin did not differ between groups (experienced donors, 5% [n = 41]; first-time donors, 0% [n = 20]; P = 0.32).

Conclusions

Experienced donors did not develop significant evidence of iron deficiency, microcytosis, or anemia compared with first-time donors. Blood banks could consider evaluating the iron status of donors if they donate consistently and frequently; however, iron deficiency appears to be an uncommon sequela in this population of blood donor dogs.