Prestorage Leukoreduction of Canine Blood Products: A Critically Appraised Topic

Blood transfusion is a life-saving intervention in canine critical care, but the clinical value of prestorage leukoreduction remains uncertain. This Critically Appraised Topic addressed whether leukoreduced canine blood products, compared with corresponding non-leukoreduced products, improve product quality, reduce recipient inflammatory responses or transfusion reactions, and improve patient-centered outcomes. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CAB Abstracts were searched from inception to 10 March 2026 using a common search strategy. Twenty-eight comparative articles were retained for appraisal after exclusion of five reports that did not contain a direct leukoreduced-versus-non-leukoreduced comparison aligned with the structured question. Most of the available evidence concerns laboratory and storage outcomes. Leukoreduction modified selected biochemical, inflammatory, oxidative, and cellular markers, but the direction and consistency of the findings varied across outcomes and studies. Clinical studies did not demonstrate a consistent reduction in transfusion reactions or improvement in survival or recovery. Current evidence therefore supports leukoreduction primarily as a blood-product processing strategy; it is insufficient to establish a patient-centered benefit from routine universal leukoreduction in dogs.