Why blood donors are in demand
Meet our team.
Courtney Gardner
DVM, DACVECCDr. Courtney Gardner enjoys all aspects of emergency & critical care and is especially interested in sepsis/SIRS, transfusion medicine for coagulopathies and/or anemia, traumatic injuries and toxicities.
- Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care
- Residency, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care, Texas A&M University, College Station
- Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Canada
- Bachelor of Science, Animal Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Outside of work, Dr. Gardner enjoys horseback riding, reading, cooking and crafting. Her family includes her husband, son and miniature schnauzer Ruby.
Janell Hernandez
LVTSince she was a little girl, Janell Hernandez has wanted to work with animals. She initially thought the only way to work with animals was to become a veterinarian. When she learned about becoming a veterinary technician, she started on that path and hasn’t looked back.
In her free time, Janell enjoys exploring new restaurants with her husband, reading, going on walks and dancing.In her free time, Janell enjoys exploring new restaurants with her husband, reading, going on walks and dancing.
Moriah Partney
LVTMoriah Partney has been a licensed veterinary technician and working in emergency medicine at BluePearl since 2013. She is passionate about emergency medicine – particularly traumas and disorders that cause severe anemias, often requiring blood transfusions – and the intricacies of transfusion medicine. Drawn to blood banking after seeing the severe need for pet blood products in her hospital, Moriah was able to bring her previous experience in blood banking at another BluePearl Hospital to our Spring location.
For Moriah, working in the Blood Bank is about being able to advocate for the voiceless.
Moriah’s home is filled with her son, daughter, dogs – a Boykin spaniel and beagle mix named Zelda and a chihuahua named Captain James T. Kirk, aka Tiberius – a cat named Bitty, and lots of fish. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, doing science experiments with her kids and spending quality time with her mom and sister.
What can I expect?
Eligibility
- If your pet meets all eligibility criteria, complete the online registration, which inclues a medical history questionnaire.
- If all requirements are met, a member of the blood bank team will contact you to review your pet’s information, explain the blood donation process, answer questions, and schedule a pre-screening appointment.
Pre-screening appointment
- During this complimentary appointment, a member of the blood bank team will explain the process in detail and answer any questions you may have.
- An exam and behavioral assessment will be performed by a licensed veterinarian to ensure your pet is healthy and has a friendly, calm disposition.
- A blood sample will be drawn for initial pre-screening lab work to complete your pet's full health check, obtain their blood type, and to screen for any infectious diseases.
Results
- A member of the blood bank team will contact you with the lab work results. If all results are within the expected range, your pet will be officially enrolled in the program and we'll schedule their first donation appointment.
- When you arrive at the hospital, our team will meet with you to review any changes in your pet’s medical history and answer any questions. Most owners choose to drop off their pet for the day, but you're welcome to stay for the donation. The donation itself takes about 10 minutes, though the entire process lasts approximately an hour.
- A pre-donation health check will be performed, which includes a complete physical exam by a licensed veterinarian and a blood test to assess Packed Cell Volume (PCV) or hemoglobin. This will determine if your pet is clear to donate.
- With your consent, a small amount of sedative may be given to your pet to help them relax, if needed.
- While your pet is comfortably situated on a table, a small area of fur on their neck will be removed and the skin at the collection site will be cleaned.
- Blood is collected from the jugular vein, with the donation process lasting approximately 10 minutes. For canines, the standard collection volume ranges from 300ml to 450ml, depending on their weight. For felines, the standard volume is 53ml.
- Your pet is closely monitored with tenderness throughout the entire donation process by our loving team.
- After the donation, a bandage is placed over the collection site and your pet's vitals are taken.
- Your pet will receive plenty of TLC from our team as well as treats for their hard work!
- We recommended that your pet rest for the remainder of the day before returning to their normal routine the following day. For dogs, a harness should be used afterward.
- If you choose to receive notifications, you will receive an email alert when your pet’s blood is used to save or improve another pet’s life. You may receive multiple emails, as each donation can produce up to three blood products!
