Xenotransfusion with packed bovine red blood cells to a wildebeest calf (Connochaetes taurinus)

Abstract

A 4-month-old female blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) was presented for bilateral pelvic limb fracture repair. Clinical examination under anaesthesia revealed a water-hammer pulse and a haematocrit of 0.13. A xenotransfusion was performed using bovine (Bos taurus) erythrocytes because of inability to acquire a wildebeest donor. Clinical parameters improved following transfusion and the post-operative haematocrit value was 0.31. The wildebeest remained physiologically stable with a gradually declining haematocrit for the next three days. On the third post-operative day, the wildebeest refractured its femur and was humanely euthanised because of the poor prognosis for further fracture repair. Xenotransfusion using blood from domestic ruminants represents a life-saving short-term emergency treatment of anaemic hypoxia in wild ungulates. Domestic goats could be used as blood donors for rare ungulates where allodonors are not available.

Failure of Passive Transfer in Camel Calves: 4 Cases (2010-2019)

“…Transfusions of bovine plasma and administration of bovine colostrum have been used for the management of FPT in giraffe calves [ 21 ]. Xenotransfusion of whole bovine blood has been used in an emergency transfusion in a wildebeest calf as well as experimentally investigated as a potential treatment in goats [ 22 , 23 ] suggesting that bovine plasma could be used in those species as well. Due to the challenges in finding a camel plasma donor, clinicians should consider the use of plasma from other closely related species when camel plasma is unavailable.…”

Preliminary Investigation of Bovine Whole Blood Xenotransfusion as a Therapeutic Modality for the Treatment of Anemia in Goats

“…Xenotransfusion has been successfully described in multiple veterinary species for emergency situations (8,(15)(16)(17). Many species differ in blood types and presence of naturally occurring alloantibodies.…”

“…These cases of canine xenotransfusions were successful. Xenotransfusion techniques are not limited to small animals, as recent xenotransfusion with bovine erythrocytes was used in a 4 month-old wildebeest calf ( Connochaetes taurinus ) undergoing a bilateral pelvic limb fracture repair ( 15 ). The animal was pre-medicated with prednisolone, and the technique allowed for stabilization from mass intraoperative hemorrhage that occurred during the fracture repair.…”

Xenotransfusion of Blood from Dog to Cat: Should Canine Blood Be Our First Choice for Feline Transfusion in Emergency Situations?

“…A similar situation is found with wild species, captive or not. The lack of knowledge of their biology, and the impossibility of finding a donor of the same species, has led to the successful practice of xenotransfusions using blood from a closely-related domestic species [ 28 , 29 ]. Xenotransfusion of blood from domestic dogs can be considered for captive non-domesticated canids [ 30 ].…”