Goat Venipuncture (Blood Drawing)

We were asked for more video (especially those providing instructions or methods of our procedures here on our farm), so here is a blood drawing video. Here we are drawing blood on Daffodil to send to the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for pregnancy testing. It's been about 30 days since Daffodil was bred to Jackson Browne. Step #1: Gather your supplies. You will need a syringe, needle and blood tube. We use a 6 ml luer lock syringe, a 20 gauge x 1" needle, and a red top tube. Our reasoning behind the luer lock vs. regular luer tip is because we've had instances while drawing blood or giving injections where the needle has slipped off. It's messy and inaccurate and makes it worth having the locking type of tip. Additionally, the lab only needs 1 ml (cc) of blood, but we choose the larger syringe size because it is easier to manipulate the plunger one handed. Again, personal preference. We choose a 1" needle not because the vein is 1" below the surface of the skin but because goats have thick winter coats and we want enough length to be able to accurately perform the draw. The lab requires whole blood, which is our reason for the red top tube. Blood tubes come in many colors and sizes depending on the test requirements. Step #2: Get your goat. Get your handler. You want your goat and your handler to be comfortable and safe. You want your goat to move as little as possible to make the procedure as stress free and as accurate as possible, and often times this is done with minimal restraint. Step #3: Locate the vein and apply pressure to the vein below the area where you will be drawing. Sometimes it's necessary to shave the hair away or apply alcohol to dampen the hair to be able to visualize it properly. We usually skip these steps as it provides undue worry to the animal. Step #4: While holding pressure on the vein with the left hand, insert the needle through the skin and into the vein with the right hand. Pull the plunger slowly and evenly to allow the blood to enter the syringe. Step #5: Remove your left hand from the animal, releasing pressure from the vein. Step #6: Remove the needle from the vein at the same angle you inserted it and immediately apply pressure to that area, for a few seconds, with your left hand to prevent any bleeding. Step #7: Insert your needle into the blood tube and allow the vacuum system to pull the blood from the syringe into the tube. Step #8: Give your goat lots of praise and/or treats. Step #9: Label tube and refrigerate for mailing. Step #10: Fill out appropriate submission form and mail sample and submission form to the lab. Please note: This is our method of blood drawing. Every person uses a different technique. Some people use a vacutainer needle and holder. We find that this is just one more thing to hold onto and/or lose should the animal move. Please follow the advice of your veterinarian. Good luck in your endeavors!

• #pets_animals
• #goat
• #venipuncture
• #blood_biofluid
• #pregnancy_test_diagnostic_test
• #sugar_top_farm