Experiment 11:

Blood Collection in Different Domestic Animal

Submitted by:

Veterinary Physiology 141 Section W3L Group 5

Dela Cruz, Margarita Franchesca M.

Submitted to:

Dr. Maria. Catalina Tan De Luna, BS, DVM, MAgrSc

Introduction

Blood plays an important role in regulating the body's systems and maintaining homeostasis.
Other functions include supplying oxygen and nutrients to tissues, removing waste, transporting
hormones and other signals throughout the body, and regulating body pH and core body temperature.
Because of this blood is considered to be the window to our body. When an animal is sick collecting a
sample of blood and having it analyzed is the easiest and fastest way to discover and monitor health
conditions. However improper blood collection and mishandling of blood samples are prone to
misleading results and will lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment.

The objective of this exercise is not just to determine the different sites for blood collection in
different domestic animals but also to learn and practice proper blood collection and handling.

Materials & Methods

This exercise was divided into two sessions.

1. Blood collection in the Jugular Vein

For the ruminant, the students were paired and were tasked to draw blood from each of the
jugular vein of the sheep assigned to them. One student restrained the sheep and occluded the vein
while the other drew the blood from either the left or right jugular vein. Afterwards the students
switched places and continued with the blood collection and proper restraining. The first student to
finish collecting blood was then given the chance to properly transfer the collected blood to an EDTA.
 2. Blood collection in the cephalic vein.
For the second session, students were tasked to bring a dog per pair. One student restrained the
dog and occluded the vein while the other drew the blood from either the left or right cephalic
vein. Afterwards the students switched places and continued with the blood collection and
proper restraining. However not everyone was able to successfully perform blood collection
from the dog because of either hard to restrain dog or difficulty in locating and penetrating the
vein.

Results

Table 1: Site of Blood Collection in Different Domestic Animals

Preferred Site for Blood Collection Alternative Site/s for Blood Collection
Dog Cephalic Vein Lateral Saphenous Vein, Jugular Vein
Horse Jugular Vein Transverse Facial Vein
Cattle Jugular Vein Coccygeal Vein
Carabao Jugular Vein Coccygeal Vein
Cat Cephalic Vein Medial Saphenous Vein, Femoral Vein
Pig Jugular Vein Cephalic Vein, Marginal Ear Vein
Sheep & Goat Jugular Vein Cephalic Vein, Saphenous Vein
Chicken Jugular Vein Wing Vein (Basilic Vein)
 Table 2: Amount of blood that can be collected in different domestic animals
(Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Appropriate amount of blood that can be collected for hematology test

Dog 0.5ml blood / kg

Horse 0.5ml blood / kg
Cattle / Buffalo 0.5ml blood / kg
Domestic
Chicken 0.5ml blood / kg
Cat 0.5ml blood / kg
Pig 0.5ml blood / kg
Sheep & Goat 0.5ml blood / kg

Table 3: Blood Tests & Corresponding Amount of Blood

(Hehn, 2018 and University of Michigan)

Test Amount to be Collected

Blood Smear Slide Preparation 0.5ml to 1ml

CBC 0.5ml to 1ml
CBC & Chemistry 3ml
Full Blood Panel 6ml

Discussion

Appropriate Volume of Blood

As a general rule, 0.5 mL blood/kg body weight can be safely removed from healthy animals
with no detrimental effects. Larger amounts up to 10 mL/kg body weight can be removed when
necessary, as in healthy blood donor animals, as long as the animal is given adequate time, nutrition,
and care to rebuild its blood supply. Small animals such as puppies, kittens, laboratory animals, small
exotic pets, and caged bird may weigh only a few ounces therefore have small total blood volumes.
Extreme care should be taken when drawing blood from these animals because excessive blood loss can
occur with as little as a few drops. The same caution should be used with animals that are in shock, are
anemic, or are otherwise debilitated. (Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Different blood tests require different amount of blood as well. For Blood Smear & CBC tests, it
will only require 0.5ml to 1ml per animal. CBC with Chemistry such as but not limited to Electrolytes,
Liver Panel, Renal Panel, Resting Cortisol need at least 3ml of blood. Lastly Full Blood Panel that includes,
CBC, Chemistry & Specialized Tests require 6ml of blood. (Hehn, 2018 and University of Michigan)
 The clinical effects of extreme blood loss are related not only to volume of loss but the rate at
which it is lost. With relatively rapid loss, most animals will begin to show signs of shock with the loss of
30 percent of their blood volume. At 40 percent or more death rates increase rapidly. This is due to
inadequate blood flow even though other tissue fluids move into the vascular system over a short
period of time. In a 45 kg animal, this means that about a liter may be lost (or collected from a blood
donor) before signs of shock would be seen. Removal of more than 30 percent of an animal’s blood
volume can lead to dehydration, shock, and potential death. (Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Proper Collection and Handling of Blood

The proper collection and handling of a blood sample is important to prevent or minimize
alterations of blood counts and measurements. The equipment and techniques used for blood collection
will vary with the size of the patient, selection of venipuncture site, and amount of blood to be
collected. Numerous types of anticoagulants are available for use in preventing blood clotting. (Voigt &
Swist, 2011)

Any events or circumstances occurring at the time of collection that may potentially influence
the result, especially stressors such as patient excitement, exercise, apparent disease signs, and extreme
weather conditions, should be noted. Restraint of the animal should be minimal to reduce the effects of
stress. (Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Proper Blood Collection

1. Select the appropriate venepuncture site.

2. Restrain the animal (through sedation, anesthesia, physical restraint, placing a hood on the
patient).
3. Occlude the vein.
4. Clean the site with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry.
5. Stabilize the vein to prevent rolling during venipuncture.
6. Using the appropriate syringe and gauge of needle, puncture the vein with the bevel of the
needle up.
7. Once the desire amount of blood has been drawn, withdraw the needle and apply firm pressure
with the use of cotton soaked with isopropyl alcohol.
8. If the blood should be transferred to a vial, remove the needle from the syringe and the stopper
from the vial. Gently transfer the blood down the side of the vial to minimize hemolysis.
 Table 4: Blood collection sites and size of needle
(Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Illustration 1: Examples of commercial blood collection vials

(Voigt & Swist, 2011)

From the left, the red stopper indicates no anticoagulant (“clot tube”), the lavender one (often
called “purple top”) has EDTA, the green has heparin, and the yellow and blue plastic capped tubes
are specialized tubes for specific tests. (Voigt & Swist, 2011)

Table 5: Examples of Improper Handling of Blood and its Effect

(Calgary Lab Services, Canada)
Improper Handling Result/s

Not allowing alcohol to air dry after cleansing May cause hemolysis

Inappropriate gauge of needle with the size of the Hemolysis (too needle is to small)
vein Hematoma (needle is to large)
Excessive repositioning of needle in and out of the
Clotting
vein
Incorrect technique when transferring blood into the
Hemolysis
EDTA tube
Improper Mixing (vigorously shaking the tube) Hemolysis
Improper Mixing (inadequate mixing) Clotting
False increase in total Plasma Protein Content and
Incorrect ratio of blood with EDTA
false decrease in PCV
Mislabeling of specimen Incorrect diagnosis and treatment
Prolonged exposure to EDTA Produces artifacts in Neutrophils & Platelets

Ways to Collect Blood

1. Needle & syringe

The size and gauge of the needle and the size and volume of the syringe should be appropriate
for the size of the vessel and the volume of blood to be collected. These are usually decided by the
size of the animal and a guide for some species is given in Table 3. Both the needle and syringe
should be sterile. Needles should not be reused between animals because of contamination of
samples and possible transmission of disease. (Clark, Holz and Duignan, 2017)

2. Evacuated tube

Commercially available evacuated blood tubes, commonly known as Vacutainers, are an

alternative to using a needle and syringe to collect the blood sample. When the cap of the tube is
punctured by the specially designed double-ended needle, already placed in a vein, the negative
pressure withdraws blood from the vein into the tube. Evacuated blood tubes may be of use in
larger animals, but are inappropriate for use in small animals as the pressure of the vacuum
collapses the vein and precludes withdrawal of blood. Multiple vacuum tubes can be attached to
and removed in turn from a single needle, allowing multiple samples to be obtained from a single
procedure. This is possible due to the multiple sample sleeve, which is a flexible rubber fitting over
the posterior end of the needle cannula which seals the needle until it is pushed out of the way.
(Clark, Holz and Duignan, 2017)
 3. Butterfly Needle

Butterfly needles, also known as venipuncture needles, are used within veterinary medicine for
drawing blood and for administering infusions. The cannulas are available in various sizes are
especially easy to manipulate because of the plastic wings. In some circumstances a butterfly
catheter may be more suitable for venepuncture than a needle, particularly when animals are not
anaesthetised and may move during the procedure. The butterfly catheter provides increased
stability and once placed, is less likely to come out of the vein or to lacerate it if the patient moves.
(Clark, Holz and Duignan, 2017)

Table 5: Different ways to collect blood and their advantages

Blood Collection Remarks Advantages

Needle & Syringe Most commonly used More control on the needle and can be repositioned
easily
There is flash of blood in syringe hub when the vein
was successfully pierced
 Evacuated Blood Ideal for large animals Easier to take multiple samples from a single
Tube venepucture.
Less risk of accidental needle stick
Anticoagulant already present in the tube
Butterfly Needle Ideal for small animals Provides increased stability & less likely to come out
of the vein.
Since the needle is not directly attached to the tube,
the patient can move with some degree of ease

Conclusion

Recommended volumes for blood collection are intended to preserve the health status of the
animal and maintain the validity of experimental results. All blood tests should begin with proper
collection of the blood sample. Improper collection and handling of the sample may alter blood
measurements or cell counts and could lead to unreliable or misleading results.

Preferred sites for blood collection will help the veterinarians to properly withdraw the
recommended volume without sacrificing the vein and decrease the pain felt by the animal. To further
help the veterinarians in collecting blood while prioritizing the welfare of animals, several ways of blood
collection can be done. This will depend on the preferred site, amount of blood needed and size of the
animal.

References

 Voigt, G. & Swist, S. (2011) Hematology Techniques and Concepts for Veterinary Technicians (2 nd
Edition). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 Rebar, A. & etc. (2014) A Guide to Hematology in Dogs and Cats. Teton NewMedia
 Factors Affecting Blood Test Results. Retrieved from
http://www.calgarylabservices.com/files/HealthcareProfessionals/Specimen_Collection/Factors
AffectingResults.pdf
 Clark, P., Holz P., and Duignan, P.J (2017) Collection and Handling of Blood Samples. Retrieved
from https://veteriankey.com/collection-and-handling-of-blood-samples/
 Hehn, L. (August 3, 2018). Veterinary Phlebotomy Supplies for Drawing Blood. Retrieved from
https://blog.vetprep.com/veterinary-phlebotomy-supplies-for-drawing-blood

 University of Michigan. Animal Diagnostic Laboratory Testing. Retrieved last November 25, 2019
from https://animalcare.umich.edu/business-services/vivo-animal-core/animal-diagnostic-
laboratory-testing