Are IV Fluids Necessary Following Feline Blood Donation?

Cost

Free for Elite Members

July 2025

In today’s VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we explore whether intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is truly necessary after feline donation by reviewing the prospective study, “Intravenous fluid therapy compared to no treatment following blood donation in cats: a randomized controlled trial.’ Many of us were taught (or have routinely seen) the protocol of administering IV fluids to cats post-donation to help replace the lost blood volume. However, this practice isn’t common in human or canine blood donation protocols. So are IV fluids really needed after feline blood donation? Tune in to find out!

Resources: 

  1. Guedra Allais M, Humm K. Intravenous fluid therapy compared to no treatment following blood donation in cats: a randomised controlled trial. J Small Anim Pract. 2024;65(9):662-666.
  2. Abreu TA, Oliveira AS, Ferreira RR, et al. Feline blood donation adverse reactions: classification and description of acute and delayed reactions in a donor population. J Fel Med Surg. 2022;24:284–289.
  3. Taylor SS, Ferreira HCM, Cambra AFP, et al. Feline blood donation: Description and adverse reactions from 29 201 donation events between 2019 and 2023. J Vet Intern Med. 2024;38(6):3050-3062.

Not a VETgirl ELITE member? Get your learning on with the #1 veterinary CE resource – clinically relevant, practical, and accessible 24/7 on your own time! Don’t miss out – click HERE to check out your options, including our new  14-day, no-commitment ELITE Trial.

Only VETgirl members can leave comments. Sign In or Join VETgirl now!