Chulalongkorn University Launches Mobile Pet Blood Bank
A new mobile blood donation vehicle will help Chulalongkorn University's veterinary faculty provide vital care for sick animals and advance academic research across Bangkok
- Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Veterinary Science has launched a mobile pet blood bank, a vehicle donated by the Intelnovation Group, to improve animal healthcare.
- The mobile unit will travel across the Bangkok metropolitan area to collect blood from donor pets, with a goal of over 1,000 bags per year which are separated into components to help more animals.
- This initiative expands the university's existing blood bank program and involves collaborations with government agencies like the Police Dog Division and the Army Veterinary Department.
The Faculty of Veterinary Science at Chulalongkorn University has unveiled a new mobile blood bank, a donation from the Intelnovation Group, which will significantly improve pet healthcare in the city and its surrounding areas.
At a recent ceremony, the new vehicle was handed over to the university. Dr Chaiyos Tharnratana, Director of the Small Animal Teaching Hospital, and Dr Suwarat Wadeerat, Head of the Blood Bank and Haematology Clinic, were on hand to accept the donation.
The event also featured a discussion on the project's origins, with participants including well-known figures Arnop Chirakiti, Kirrawee Lertsuriyabhak, Komol Chearavanont, and Janejira Phornprapha.
Dr Suwarat explained that the university's pet blood bank, founded over 14 years ago, aims to conduct research, develop blood products, and build a network of volunteer pet donors.
The new vehicle will enable the team to collect blood more efficiently, with each donation being separated into various components to maximise its use for animals in need.
"We can now travel to collect blood from pets across the Bangkok metropolitan area," Dr Suwarat stated. "The health of every donor animal will be checked to ensure the blood is of the highest quality and safety. We expect to collect over a thousand bags of blood per year, which, once separated, can help several times more animals."
Dr Suwarat further explained that donated blood is processed and separated into several components. This separation helps to increase the efficient use of a limited blood supply.
In the future, research and development on dog-derived albumin will lead to the use of Canine Albumin, a global innovation, for additional treatment options.
The blood usage process still requires compatibility testing. Pet owners can either submit a blood sample or bring their pets to the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, for testing.
Dogs have a complex blood type system with eight or more groups, so proper testing is necessary before using blood or blood components to ensure maximum safety and effectiveness.
In addition to researching blood products, the pet blood bank aims to develop a standard laboratory that can support comprehensive blood analysis and testing, as well as specific veterinary research on stem cells.
This will create new knowledge for treatments and provide more healthcare options for animals in the future.
Dr Thanan Leelayuwa, Director of the Intelnovation Group, expressed his pride in the donation, which is part of the group's "Mission4P" social responsibility initiative.
He said the project would support academic research and help save the lives of countless pets.
The new vehicle is one of two now operating in the region, with the mobile blood bank having partnerships with government agencies like the Police Dog Division and the Army Veterinary Department.
This collaboration between the private sector and academia is seen as a key step towards improving the quality of veterinary care and building a more sustainable animal healthcare system in Thailand.
Pet owners can contact the Emergency Clinic at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, 24 hours a day on 02-2189810 to inquire about blood products for sick animals.
