Читать книгу Textbook for the Veterinary Assistant - Lori Renda-Francis - Страница 39

While veterinary assistants do not perform venipuncture techniques, they do have a significant role in assisting the veterinarian or veterinary technician in successful collection. The main role of the veterinary assistant during venipuncture is to properly restrain the animal for the procedure. Therefore, it is important for the veterinary assistant to know which veins are commonly used and where they are located and to be able to describe them using correct anatomical terminology.

For dogs, the most frequently used sites for blood collection are the cephalic vein, the jugular vein, and the lateral saphenous vein. The most commonly used veins in cats are the cephalic vein, the jugular vein, the femoral vein, and the medial saphenous vein (Figure 3.15).

The cephalic veins are located on the anterior surface of the forearm. They run from the dorsomedial foreleg proximally along the foreleg. They are easy to locate and very accessible for venipuncture. The cephalic vein is used for collection of large volumes of blood in larger dogs.

The lateral saphenous veins are small, superficial veins that run diagonally across the lateral surface of the distal part of the tibia.

The jugular veins are large superficial veins located on either side of the trachea on the neck.

The femoral vein is used for blood collection in cats and extends from the groin on the medial aspect of the thigh.

The medial saphenous vein is also used in cats and extends from the hock to the stifle on the medial aspect of the calf. It becomes the femoral vein at the stifle (Figure 3.16).