Blood collection
Removal of Blood from Laboratory Mammals and Birds
This is the first report of the BVA/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW joint working group on refinement. Each workshop was intended to address a single topic, the proceedings being published in the scientific press. This report, is the first of the series. It aims to describe in detail, the most humane methods for taking blood samples from the common laboratory animal species.
Methods of venepuncture are described for the following animals: cats, cattle, chickens, dogs, ferrets, gerbils, goats, guinea pigs, hamsters, horses, marmosets, mice, pigs, rhesus, rabbits, rats and sheep. www.lal.org.uk/pdffiles/BLOOD.PDF
Refinement of Blood Sampling Techniques
The following papers are from Laboratory Animals 32(4) 1998.
Saphenous vein puncture for blood sampling of the mouse, rat, hamster, gerbil, guineapig, ferret and mink. A. Hem, A. J. Smith & P. Solberg. This method is described for blood collection from the lateral saphenous vein. It allows rapid sampling, which if necessary can be repeated from the same site without a need for new puncture wounds. The method is a humane and practical alternative to cardiac and retro-orbital puncture, in species where venepuncture has traditionally been regarded as problematic.
Refinement of blood sampling from the sublingual vein of rats. W. Zeller, H. Weber, B. Panoussis, T. Bürge & R Bergmann. A refined method of repeated blood sampling in rats is described in this report.
The papers shown above can be accessed from www.lal.org.uk Go to on-line reprints/working party reports and guidelines to download these reports.
Blood Collection Using the Saphenous Vein
A method is described for blood collection from the lateral saphenous vein. This enables rapid sampling, that if necessary can be repeated from the same site without a need for new puncture wounds. It is a humane and practical alternative to cardiac and retro-orbital puncture in species such as mouse, rat, hamster, gerbil, guinea pigs, ferret and mink.. Description and slides of technique can be viewed at www.uib.no/vivariet/mou_blood/Blood_coll_mice_.html
Blood Sampling in Sheep
A detailed description of collecting blood samples from the jugular vein including a series of illustrations. Can be downloaded in PDF format.
www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/as/as-557-w.pdf
The Animal Research Review Panel Guidelines on Blood Collection that can be found at the link to Research Procedures under Policies and Guidelines, outlines specific strategies to achieve the goals of refinement when using these methods.