Canines line up for blood bank.

Byline: Jim Feehan The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - Argus, a 4-year-old greyhound, doesn't flinch when a small needle is inserted into his neck and blood begins to flow through a tube into a collecting bag.

Three veterinary technicians rub Argus' head and murmur praise. In a couple of minutes, the bag is full. A few more minutes pass, and Argus is up on all fours.

Argus competed at Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village, outside Portland, until he broke his leg in a race about two years ago. On Saturday, Argus donated 450 milliliters, about a pint, at a blood donor drawing for dogs at a Springfield veterinary clinic.

Canines need donated blood for the same reasons humans do, said veterinarian Donna Dimski of Oregon Veterinary Referral Associates. The blood is used during emergency surgeries and to aid anemic animals.

As she slid a needle into the jugular vein of a Great Dane, Dimski said the number of pets donating blood has increased - but so have transfusions, partly because more people are opting to have their dogs undergo lifesaving surgery.

"I decided two years ago to start up this blood bank and have the blood available for any vet who needs it," she said.

Banner's Blood Bank at the Oregon Veterinary Referral Associates office serves dogs as far away as Klamath Falls and Bend. Portland has the state's only other dog donor blood bank.

Before opening the bank, staff members used their own family pets to provide needed blood products, Dimski said.

"I think donating blood is a great idea, and if it can help out other dogs, all the better," said Argus' owner, Dave Sanders of Springfield.

About a dozen dogs participated in Saturday's blood drawing, held in conjunction with a Lane Memorial Blood Bank drawing.

The bloodmobile was parked outside the veterinary clinic to accept donations for two-legged mammals.

Standing at the entrance of the clinic was Annie, a 4-year-old poodle with a hand-painted sign draped over her torso that read, "Thank you blood donors, you saved my life!"

Last fall, Annie required two units of plasma when her protein level fell after an injury required surgery, said her owner, Nancy Colfer of Eugene.

"We're just here to say thank you for saving our dog," Colfer said.

The pint of blood Argus donated will be turned into two products: plasma and red cells, said Gina Schluckebier, associate director of Banner's Blood Bank.

The red cells can be stored for 35 days in a refrigerator and the plasma can be frozen for one year.

But blood is in short supply, especially during the summer months when more dogs are injured in car accidents, Schluckebier said.

Red blood cells are used in the treatment of anemia, or low red blood cell count. Red blood cells may be needed after an accident or during surgery. They are also needed when a dog's body can't produce enough red blood cells by itself, or when diseases cause the body to destroy its own red blood cells, Schluckebier said.

Plasma contains proteins or enzymes that help clot the blood. It can be used to treat bleeding due to disease or bleeding caused by the accidental ingestion of rodent poison. It's also used to treat hemophilia and other inherited bleeding problems, she said.

The blood bank, named for Banner Jones, an Australian shepherd who was a frequent donor, holds blood drives once a month.

In appreciation of their lifesaving contribution, canine blood donors leave the clinic with a "doggy bag" of food and treats. Dogs can donate no more than once every three months, hence the dogged pursuit of canine blood from new donors.

Another benefit of donating blood is, should the need ever arise, donor dogs receive free blood or plasma from the blood bank equal to the amount donated in their lifetime, Dimski said.

Blood and plasma don't come cheap. Red blood cells are $120 a pint and plasma costs $110, Dimski said.

"I enjoy knowing that blood products from other dogs helped save that poodle outside," she said. "Seeing the look on people's faces ... makes it all worthwhile."

BLOOD HOUNDS

A dog can become a blood donor if it meets the following requirements:

Size: Weighs at least

50 pounds

Blood type:Has blood type A negative

Temperament: Can hold still for blood drawing

Age: Is between 1

and 8 years old

Health: Is free of heartworms, is up-to-date on vaccinations and in generally good health

For more information: Gina at 726-1100, or Banner's Blood Bank,

444 B St. in Springfield

CAPTION(S):

Blood donor Argus meets Annie the poodle on his way into a canine blood drive Saturday in Springfield. Annie received a transfusion last fall.