Is there a universal donor blood type in cats?

Is there a universal donor blood type in cats?

• A. None exists in the cat
• B. A
• C. O
• D. AB

Answer: (A)

Cats have three blood groups—A, B, and AB—and evidence of naturally occurring antibodies against these antigens means there isn’t a single donor type that can be safely given to all cats. For example, type B cats have strong anti-A antibodies, so giving them A red cells can trigger a severe transfusion reaction. Type A cats can have anti-B antibodies that raise some risk with B blood. Type AB cats lack these antibodies, but their red cells carry both A and B antigens, so transfusing AB blood into a recipient with antibodies against A or B can still cause problems, and any donor plasma can introduce antibodies that cause reactions. Because of these mixed antigen-antibody dynamics, no feline blood type is universally compatible for every recipient. In practice, veterinarians type and carefully match donors and recipients, often using crossmatching, to minimize risk.

Cats have three blood groups—A, B, and AB—and evidence of naturally occurring antibodies against these antigens means there isn’t a single donor type that can be safely given to all cats. For example, type B cats have strong anti-A antibodies, so giving them A red cells can trigger a severe transfusion reaction. Type A cats can have anti-B antibodies that raise some risk with B blood. Type AB cats lack these antibodies, but their red cells carry both A and B antigens, so transfusing AB blood into a recipient with antibodies against A or B can still cause problems, and any donor plasma can introduce antibodies that cause reactions. Because of these mixed antigen-antibody dynamics, no feline blood type is universally compatible for every recipient. In practice, veterinarians type and carefully match donors and recipients, often using crossmatching, to minimize risk.