Abstract
Anemia requiring whole blood transfusion for appropriate treatment is a common clinical presentation of caprine patients to veterinary practitioners; however, identifying suitable blood donors in goat herds can be challenging. In other veterinary species, the practice of xenotransfusion, where blood from 1 species is transfused to another, is used in emergency settings. Due to their ability to donate large volumes of whole blood, cattle could be an ideal source for xenotransfusion of goats. In this study 2 healthy goats were transfused with bovine whole blood. The goats were then monitored for adverse effects and the presence of bovine erythrocyte post-xenotransfusion. Afterward, 15 caprine–bovine combinations were evaluated for compatibility via cross-matching. Both goats tolerated xenotransfusion, although transient reactions were observed. Of the 15 cross-match combinations, 11 of the major cross matches were compatible, and all minor cross matches were also compatible. While future work is necessary to refine this technique, xenotransfusion of goats with cattle blood may be a therapeutic modality for the treatment of caprine anemia.
Highlights
Anemia is a common and challenging clinical condition to treat in goats
Xenotransfusion has been successfully described in multiple veterinary species for emergency situations [8, 15,16,17]
These limitations have led to the exploration and use of xenotransfusion in certain species
Summary
Anemia is a common and challenging clinical condition to treat in goats. While anemia is a common sequelae of gastrointestinal parasite infections [1], commercially available caprine blood products are not currently available in the United States. Some tertiary care large-animal veterinary clinics have access to caprine whole blood through on-site donor animals; not all clinics can maintain this labor-intensive resource. When anemic animals are identified by practitioners, the use of other animals from the same herd on an as-needed bases as blood donors is often necessary [2]. In a herd situation, finding a donor can be extremely challenging, as anemia from gastrointestinal parasites is often a herd issue, making finding a donor with appropriate red blood cell concentrations difficult to find in herds with widespread parasitism
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
