Trends in transfusion medicine in dogs at a veterinary school clinic: 315 cases (1986-1989).

Transfusion practices in dogs treated at Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals were monitored for 1 year before and 2 years after receipt (by the School) of a Transfusion Medicine Academic Award, a 5-year National Institutes of Health curriculum and career development grant. The most important changes observed were increased use of packed RBC instead of fresh whole blood for initial treatment of anemia and hemorrhage attributable to coagulopathies and surgery. In addition, increased use of plasma was part of the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Change was not observed in the use of plasma for dogs with hypoalbuminemia.