Did I mention I stink? We drew blood from 4 of the goats today. Granite and Molly were not old enough at our last draw back in Oct. and while I have full faith they are clean, to be 100% certain I wanted to draw and send off results before Granite kids in just a few weeks. Oh, and the bucks were a bit too young as well so we did that today too. That's the main reason I stink. Everyone was really well behaved even the boys which is QUITE surprising.
I am not a vet, God knows. This is just how we pull blood. This is intended as an educational post only.
We use 1 1/2" 18-20 guage needle(s) (I really like the 20 gauge), at least one for each goat but I order in bulk so always have extras if a needle gets dull. I have 5-10 ML Vacutainer(s) for each sample and a 5-10 ml syringes for EACH goat. We use a new one for EACH animal, common sense there.
Now, I don't recommend this for everyone. If in doubt, get your vet out. But, since we're the kinda people who will do it ourselves if at all possible, well, that and the fact that Jeremiah was sorda trained at this kinda thing during our military days, I figure it can't be that hard. HA, yeah, can't be that hard. It's not really hard but does take nerve (for some) and perseverance!
A good shaver to get down to the skin is important, some kleenex and rubbing alcohol. Oh, and courage!
I don't have step by step photos. It's difficult when you're just trying to get the blood drawn, let alone stopping to take photos.
It always seems that the goats who I think will give us the most problems are the easiest to do. So, my advice, start with your wildest one. Well no, that's not really my advice. I start with whoever is closest to catch. We put them in the milk stand with a little grain to keep them occupied while we shave their neck and try to find the vein. Normally, they run out of gain WAY before I am even ready so we have someone standing on the stand with the goat holding their head upwards, normally this keeps them pretty calm. It helps to get a better view of the vein this way too.
Every time I do this I end up shaving the first goat's neck practically from top to bottom forgetting where the vein is! Sometimes, they aren't in the normal location and are higher up the side of the neck.
I use a finger or two to feel around the esophagus upwards towards the top of the neck. Most times the vein is just below the skin between the esophagus and where the "meat" on the neck starts, but not always, I have a few where it's about an inch up after the "meat" starts. I actually prefer it there, it's a much easier stick as the vein doesn't sink into the hollow. It helps to put pressure on the area and the vein normally will bulge right out. I have proven time and time again this can take practice.
Granite's here falls in the "hollow between the esophagus and "neck meat" catagory. I was pulling the needle away from her neck just a bit to show you the vein. I didn't have any more hands to put pressure on the vein so it would bulge out.
I clean the area with rubbing alcohol and I am ready! Their hide is TOUGH! Some more tough than others. I will admit to being a pansy the first time I did this not wanting to "hurt" the goat. Well dangit, no matter what, being poked with a needle doesn't feel good so I just distance myself from that part. I will say that of the goats we've done, even the bucks, no one flailed about. They wanted to move a bit but properly restrained we didn't worry.
Properly restrained is a matter of preference. Oddly enough, had I been able to keep John Henry's ear out of my way, I could have held his head up with one hand and done all the other work with the other. BUT, this is one time I will admit that goats with short ears would be SO much easier to do!
Anyway, slowly with pressure I insert the needle into the goat. It works well when I can continue to hold a finger or two with the non needle jabbing hand below the vein so it continues to bulge so I know where it is. Then I work my needle in. Unfortunately, this can take practice. We've tried 18 gauge needles like recommended by most and they just don't work for us.
We're careful not to skim along the top of the vien, puncture the esophagus (which technically would be somewhat difficult to do. I know there will be someone to say, it's not hard to do. But in my personal opinion if you know you are through the skin, the vein does not take a bunch of jabbing to get into.) Hitting it can be a challenge though. Skimming over the top happens, going through it happens but once I've hit it I get blood into the needle and syringe without having to pull back I'm usually there. If I don't get blood but feel I am "in", I pull back on the syringe plunger ever so lightly and see if the blood comes with it. If it doesn't there will be suction in the syringe and trying to pull back will be next to impossible. Sometimes I have to take the needle out and try again. I hate doing it but I
Before I pull my needle out I get my kleenex ready to put over the wound and PHEW, I'm done!
This morning it took us over an hour to do 4 goats. We're not professional by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes it takes a while to find the vein and other times we blow the vein. As is the case while I was trying to do John Henry this morning. Poor guy! I really screwed that up!
Now I need to print out my paperwork and get these in the mail to send off to be tested. I'll have my results in a week!
Just getting ready to do this for the first time on my own 12 goats. cant afford to have the vet do it, thanks for your story.
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