Companion animal veterinarian Neil Stuttle explained the process whereby 450 millilitres of Basil's donated blood was given intravenously to Whisky.
"Locating a suitable donor is the first step," he said.
"This is generally a dog between 1 and 8 years old, weighing more than 25 kilograms and who is in good health."
Blood is taken from the donor dog, usually under mild sedation, and filled in a blood collection bloody before being transfused intravenously into the recipient dog.
Whisky's appetite returned and his vitals improved as soon as the sedation wore off.
His owners were able to take him home the following day to begin his recovery.
Stuttle said blood transfusions were relatively uncommon and only really needed in cases with severe blood loss from rat bait toxicity or following a ruptured spleen, and immune mediated anaemias (self- destruction of red blood cells).
"Cats are sometimes in need of blood following severe anaemias.
"This is much less common than dogs as cats are typically sensible enough not to eat rat bait."
Dogs have 12 different blood groups, which each have different proteins called antigens on the surface of the red blood cell - the most important of these antigens is called DEA 1.1 (Dog Erythrocyte Antigen).
Dogs can be either positive or negative for this antigen; 40 per cent of dogs were positive, Stuttle explained.
"If a DEA 1.1 negative dog receives DEA 1.1 positive blood then antibodies will develop that might cause a reaction if a further blood transfusion is given."
Greyhounds, like Basil, tend to be more DEA 1.1 negative, he said.
"Greyhounds make particularly good donors due to their high relative number of red blood cells in the blood and their placid nature."
