To celebrate International Assistance Dog Week we would like to honor Vashti.

  

Vashti is an (almost) 5 year old spayed female Rottweiler/ English Mastiff mix. At 95 pounds, she is mom’s (Jamie from FRAH) biggest lap dog. She was adopted at 3 months old, from NVRAH, where she was abandoned with a fractured hind leg. 

Vashti is a universal blood donor. When she was 2 years old, she became an official hospital blood donor when the others became to old and could no longer donate. Vashti's large size makes her an ideal blood donor because we are able to collect a large amount of blood from her. The amount of blood we collect is based on her body weight and the recipient pet’s needs.

In order to be a blood donor, Vashti had general bloodwork, but also had specialized testing such as blood typing. She was also checked for blood parasites (such as Tick Fever and heartworm, among others) and Valley fever. She also had an ECHO, which is an ultrasound of her heart to make sure it was healthy enough to donate. 

To continue being a blood donor, Vashti must have annual bloodwork. She must always be on heart worm preventative. She must always use flea and tick preventative and she must be up to date on vaccines. She is also on call at all hours for donation, although she can only donate once during a 6 week period. Thanks Vashti for helping other dogs by giving blood.