What is The New Zealand Companion Animal Blood Bank?
The New Zealand Companion Animal Blood Bank (NZCABB) is a specialised veterinary medical supply company.
Our core products produced for the market include Canine Packed Red Blood Cells, Canine Fresh Frozen Plasma and Stored Frozen Plasma.
These products are utilised by the veterinary industry for the treatment of a wide range of canine and occasionally feline injuries and diseases.
History
NZCABB was started by Dr Neil Marshall and wife Sandy almost twenty years ago, has grown organically and is a trusted and renown central repository for canine blood products and transfusion medicine knowledge.
Who we are
NZCABB is now owned and operated by Dr Kelly McDermott and Paul Mitchell.
Dr McDermott graduated from Massey University eight years ago and has been a practising small animal vet since that time. Paul Mitchell has a background in prehospital emergency medicine in the human world, including hyperbaric medicine and adult education in these fields.
What we do
As New Zealand’s only companion animal blood bank, NZCABB fills an essential part of the veterinary treatment industry. NZCABB provides Packed Red Blood Cells (pRBC’s) that can be lifesaving if dealing with an animal that has suffered significant bleeding as a result of trauma or other causes of anaemia.
NZCABB also provides plasma products (FFP) which provide blood clotting constituents for treatment of conditions that include rodenticide poisonings, liver failure, and immune mediated problems.
NZCABB is comprised of its qualified staff, specialised equipment including large centrifuges and deep storage freezers.
At the beating heart of the blood bank is a closed colony of 15 Greyhounds, each a universal donor.
NZCABB adopts them and provides them with a retirement lifestyle where they live on a farm in a colony type environment ( they run as a pack) and donate blood to help save other lives.
Using current veterinary practices whole blood is collected from each greyhound not more than once every three weeks. Whole blood is then separated by centrifuge into its constituent parts; red blood cells and plasma.
pRBCs are stored at 4 degrees C and are available for packaging and dispatch to clients on request.
Fresh Frozen Plasma is stockpiled (banked) and deep stored at -85 degrees C and is available to dispatch to clients on request.