New Freeze-Dried Plasma Product Expands Options for Canine Transfusions

## Expanded Options for Canine Transfusions A new freeze-dried plasma product, canine freeze-dried plasma (cFDP), has become commercially available after an FDA review found no additional safety concerns with the product. Developed by defense technology company Mantel Technologies, cFDP is a shelf-stable powder derived from screened donor dogs that can sit at room temperature until a patient needs it, then be reconstituted with sterile water and given intravenously within minutes to control hemorrhage or treat hypovolemia. The product does not require a freezer, thawing, or a cold chain, potentially making plasma easier to use in the field, in remote practices, and in clinics without a blood bank. This could expand the settings where veterinarians could potentially administer plasma, including before a patient reaches a hospital, during delayed evacuation, and in clinics without their own blood banks. ## Potential Uses for cFDP According to Kelly A. Mann, DVM, MS, MSS, DACVR, vice president of veterinary solutions at Fort Collins, Colorado-based Mantel Technologies, cFDP could be useful in various settings. Mann, a retired US Army Veterinary Corps officer, has spent decades developing medical technologies for working dogs. He believes that cFDP and other products like it are vital to the provision of care in far-forward locations or under austere conditions. Mann suggests that cFDP could be used in pre-hospital care, where it can be administered at the point of injury, as well as during prolonged field care when evacuation is delayed. It could also be used in smaller clinics and satellite hospitals with limited staffing or without their own blood banks, as well as in veterinary trauma centers where it can be given while additional blood products are being arranged. ## Expanding the Continuum of Care Mann emphasizes that cFDP is not just limited to austere environments, but can be used throughout the continuum of care, from pre-hospital care to definitive care. He suggests that it could be used in level-one veterinary trauma centers as the first unit of plasma administered while coordinating for additional plasma or other blood products and therapeutic interventions. The potential uses of cFDP are vast, and it could revolutionize the way veterinarians administer plasma to dogs in need. With its shelf-stable powder and ability to be stored at room temperature, cFDP makes it easier to use in various settings, expanding the options for canine transfusions.