Blood transfusions have become an integral part of advanced veterinary medicine. As in humans, several blood groups have been identified in dogs. A dog negative for a given blood group can produce antibodies following exposure to that specific blood group, which may lead to life-threatening hemolytic transfusion reactions with subsequent transfusions.
The high frequency of the canine Dal blood type creates particular challenges: 1) Dal- anemic dogs will most likely be sensitized via their first blood transfusion and produce anti-Dal antibodies, and 2) if further blood transfusions are required in those patients, compatible Dal- blood may be very difficult to find.
Through this study, researchers identified the prevalence of the Dal antigen expression in dogs, and the mode of inheritance of the Dal+ phenotype was determined to be autosomal dominant.
Because of the high percentage of Dal− Doberman Pinchers, Dalmatians and Shih Tzus, their risk of transfusion incompatibilities increases from the common Dal+ donor. Based on findings from this study, researchers recommend extended Dal typing in those breeds, and in dogs when blood incompatibility problems arise after initial transfusions.