What cat blood type is considered the universal donor?

What cat blood type is considered the universal donor?

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

Answer: (B)

In cats, transfusion safety hinges on blood type compatibility because cats have naturally occurring antibodies against the other types. There are three feline blood types: A, B, and AB. Type A cats often have antibodies against type B, and type B cats have strong antibodies against type A. Type AB cats typically don’t have antibodies against either type. Because every available donor RBC type carries either A or B antigens, there isn’t any donor type that is guaranteed to be compatible with all recipients. That's why there is no universal donor in cats. This is also why type AB is considered the universal recipient—AB cats can generally receive blood from any type without their own antibodies attacking the donor cells, provided a proper crossmatch is done. In practice, veterinarians type the donor and recipient and perform crossmatching to minimize the risk of a transfusion reaction.

In cats, transfusion safety hinges on blood type compatibility because cats have naturally occurring antibodies against the other types. There are three feline blood types: A, B, and AB. Type A cats often have antibodies against type B, and type B cats have strong antibodies against type A. Type AB cats typically don’t have antibodies against either type. Because every available donor RBC type carries either A or B antigens, there isn’t any donor type that is guaranteed to be compatible with all recipients. That's why there is no universal donor in cats.

This is also why type AB is considered the universal recipient—AB cats can generally receive blood from any type without their own antibodies attacking the donor cells, provided a proper crossmatch is done. In practice, veterinarians type the donor and recipient and perform crossmatching to minimize the risk of a transfusion reaction.