Validation of a cage‐side agglutination card for Dal blood typing in dogs

Abstract

Abstract Background Although 98% of the canine population is Dal‐positive, Dal‐negative dogs are more common in some breeds such as Doberman Pinschers (42.4%) and Dalmatians (11.7%), and finding compatible blood for these breeds may be challenging, given limited access to Dal blood typing. Objectives To validate a cage‐side agglutination card for Dal blood typing and determine the lowest packed cell volume (PCV threshold) at which interpretation remains accurate. Animals One‐hundred fifty dogs, including 38 blood donors, 52 Doberman Pinschers, 23 Dalmatians and 37 anemic dogs. Three additional Dal‐positive canine blood donors were included to establish the PCV threshold. Methods Dal blood typing was performed on blood samples preserved in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) 20%. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Dal agglutination cards are reliable as a cage‐side test, but results should be interpreted cautiously in severely anemic patients.

Keywords

• alloantibody
• bedside assay
• blood type
• canine
• transfusion medicine