The good dog donor should be of large size, weigh over 28 kg, be between 1 and 7 years of age, have a good temperament, be in an excellent state of health and be regularly vaccinated and treated against the common ectoparasites and endoparasites. It should not have been previously transfused.
Before designating an animal to be a donor, it is essential to determine its blood type and to make sure it is in excellent health through clinical examination, blood chemistry tests (complete blood count, biochemical profile, electrophoresis, coagulation profile and urinalysis as well as some tests for the main infectious diseases such as serological investigations for Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia conorii, Leishmania infantum and polymerase chain reaction analysis for Babesia spp. and Leishmania infantum.
The described screening should be repeated once a year to guarantee, as far as possible, the safeness of the blood collected.