Military working dogs have become vital members of many military units in recent years, often supporting the most high-risk missions.
That’s why the military has expanded medical support available for the canine teammates who may suffer catastrophic injuries and need blood infusions.
Providing these military working dogs, also known as MWDs, with canine blood products can vastly increase their chances of survival.
Basically, replacing blood with blood is the best strategy.
“Any MWD that requires a transfusion subsequent to trauma-induced hemorrhage should receive [whole blood] as the product of choice when available,” according to the current MWD Transfusion Clinical Practice Guideline.
The DOD required blood typing for all MWDs starting in May 2020 to reduce the potential risk for adverse reactions to a blood transfusion.
The Issue
The problem with whole blood (WB) and plasma is that it needs to be refrigerated and is not stable for long periods of time.
Stored whole blood can last up to 28 days at 4º C. Fresh frozen plasma is good for one year. That means there is always a need for a new supply at in-theatre medical units, said Army Lt. Col. Sean Majoy, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, who deployed to Afghanistan to work with military dogs.
The issue Majoy faced in Afghanistan was that only about 10% of locations had the capability to keep fresh canine blood on hand, he said.
Solutions?
A pilot program under the auspices of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command demonstrated that fresh whole canine blood could be delivered to U.S. Central Command and then provided to medical and veterinary units as needed, explained Army Lt. Col. Sarah Cooper, chief of animal medicine for the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) Veterinary Service. The pilot program proved canine WB can be delivered to a theater of operations where it is most needed.
There is an ongoing collaboration with the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) to establish guidance for providing canine chilled, whole blood throughout the Military Health Service (MHS), Cooper said, meaning the transportation, storage, and distribution will be standardized and safe.
Another solution is “walking blood banks,” which are military canines available near the frontline that can donate fresh whole blood to wounded dogs.
The downside to using walking blood banks is that the donor dogs are then out of commission for 24 hours as they recover and can only donate every two months, Cooper said. Depending on how many dogs are in the area, this could impact the mission, or there may not be enough donor dogs available.
Cooper said there needs to be an enterprise-wide ability to ship, store, and transfuse canine WB to wherever a MWD needs it.
“No matter where the battlefield is, there is a need to have an established system in place for MWDs to receive the blood products they need,” she said.