New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) The government on Monday released the country's first comprehensive guidelines for veterinary blood transfusion services, addressing a critical gap in emergency animal healthcare. The 'Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for Blood Transfusion and Blood Banks for Animals in India' establish a scientific framework for animal blood donation, storage and transfusion procedures that were previously conducted without national standards, an official statement said. Blood transfusion is recognized globally as essential for treating trauma, severe anemia, surgical blood loss, infectious diseases and bleeding disorders in animals. Most transfusions in India were performed in emergencies without standardised donor screening, blood typing or storage protocols. The new guidelines, issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, mandate blood typing and cross-matching to prevent adverse reactions, establish donor eligibility criteria including health ...