Primary Care

Oxygen and Transfusion Therapy

VCA Central Kitsap Animal Hospital offers oxygen therapy for the treatment of many acute cardiac, respiratory and blood disorders. Oxygen may be provided to patients by a nasal catheter (cannula), oxygen cage, hood or mask. Close veterinary monitoring of these patients is required to maintain oxygen flow, avoid potential complications of oxygen usage and to insure that expected therapeutic goals are being met.  

VCA Central Kitsap Animal Hospital provides transfusion therapy.  We stock both dog and cat red blood cells (packed red blood cells) and plasma (fresh frozen plasma) that is provided by a veterinary blood bank.  Medical conditions that might necessitate a blood transfusion include bleeding due to trauma, cancer, toxin exposure (rodenticides, "rat bait"), or low platelets; causes of chronic anemia; and immune-destruction of red blood cells (immune-mediated hemolytic anemia).  We perform blood typing and cross-matching on patients prior to transfusion to minimize the possibility of an adverse reaction.  Our veterinarians and technicians are trained to administer and monitor the transfusion to provide the best possible outcome for our patients.