Welcome to this episode of The Underdog Vet Podcast! In this episode’s Animal Advocate Interview, I spoke with Wendy Barnett DipAVN (Surgical) RVN PCQI, Founder and Clinical Director of The Pet Blood Bank UK. Launched in 2007, The Pet Blood Bank UK was set up to support vets by providing a blood service for pets in need of blood transfusions and other blood products such as plasma. The service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure blood is always available to pets who may need it. Wendy explained why the service was originally set up and how it works, including what makes a good donor dog, what a donating session involves and how vets can access the service should they have a canine patient that needs a blood transfusion. Wendy also spoke about how Covid-19 and the lockdowns affected the pet blood service and I asked about the ethics of taking blood from dogs when they technically can’t consent to such a procedure.  Wendy used some terms that some people may not be familiar with so I've explained them here: Colostrum - the antibody-rich first milk produced from the mother’s mammary glands during the first few days after having given birth Mucus Membrane colour - the colour of your dog's gums and inside lips should be a nice salmon pink colour, the Chow Chow has naturally pigmented or dark coloured mucus membranes PVC (Packed Cell Volume) - Percentage of cells in a blood sample used to assess for aneamia TS (Total Solids) - Used to assess for any protein loss Centrifuge - Used to spin blood samples to separate its constituent parts Links:  The Pet Blood Bank UK Website: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/ Pet Blood Bank Telephone Number: 01509 232 222 Dog Blood Types: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/pet-owners/dog-blood-donation/dog-blood-types/ Can your dog be a donor?: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/pet-owners/dog-blood-donation/can-your-dog-donate-blood/ Veterinary Profession - How To Order Blood: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/vet-professionals/i-need-blood-products/ Volunteer: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/get-involved/volunteering/ Donate: https://petbloodbankuk.enthuse.com/donate#!/ Alpaca Blood Information: https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/pet-owners/alpaca-blood-processing/