Drawing Blood

[urneighbour]

I recently had an incident with a new vet when I took one of the dogs in for a wellness check-up. He wanted to remove my boy from the room to draw blood but I convinced him to do it in the room with me and my husband. He tried about 4-5 times to draw a sample from the back leg. I suggested shaving a patch to help him but he informed me that the problem was the vein in the back legs have a tendency to move around. So he then proceeded to take the sample from the neck ! My husband was so upset he left the room leaving me and the tech to keep the dog's head still. My boy was really cooperated but the whole experience was a bit unsettling for me and my husband.

So my questions are....where does your vet draw blood samples from....is it normal to go for the neck because I am thinking it is a bit riskier if the dog moves while a needle is sticking into his neck than say his front paw!!!

 

[Codes]

Typically it's the front leg but I recently brought one of my girls to the Vet and they drew blood from her neck. He feels they can get a better sample that way. Faith was none to pleased and when I brought her back for another visit and they tried that way again without success, I strongly suggested they use one of her front legs. They did so and presto! Perfect sample.

 

[anya]

If I recall, it has been from one of the front legs.

 

[MMtnmom]

front legs, always.

 

[KatieB]

My vet almost always uses the neck for our blood draws. Mojo does not like this method so they use his back leg with no issues. They've had trouble with the front leg draws on Murphy for some reason so we just use the neck. It doesn't bother me one way or the other so they tend to use the the area each of my dogs is most comfortable with.

 

[lacey9875]

I've only ever had it drawn from the front leg. My vet also started recently taking them to another room to do bloodwork and such, and I've made it clear that I want it done in the room with me.

 

[Leonard and his bud Snuffles]

Now they have had trouble with getting blood from Snuffles front legs sometimes and have used the back. My friend's Bassets, they often use the ears, because with those short thick wrinkled legs, it is very hard to find a vein. Here is a picture of Wegi, and you can see what I mean.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/sammy56/Bassets/DSC02948Medium.jpg

Edited to say I think my vet likes having me there. Snuffles tends to be very mellow, and I think our vet really understands the comfort factor a owner brings. I was there when he had his minor surgery 2 weeks ago, and when they took him back to be restapled. I was also back with him in the x-ray room last January except during the picture shoot itself.

 

[Elizabeth]

I've made it clear that my dog stays with me, or I go with the dog
When the tech couldn't get a vein in the front leg with Gracie she used the neck with no problem.

E

 

[BLCOLE]

It has always been from a front leg in each of my 3 Newfs.

 

[Whybu1]

I have had them draw from front leg, back leg or neck. Often if the dog is a bit dehydrated the leg veins are hard to find. Heck even my wife has had blood drawn/IV placed in her neck at times in the ER.

 

[R Taft]

Front legs and I stay with my dogs or I draw the blood from my dogs front leg for the vet..Some are just no good at it. No need to shave, because you can feel the veins

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

I know how upsetting it is to watch this, but honestly taking the sample from the jugular in a dog that is a difficult draw is so much better than trying multiple times from the legs.

Our vet used to always use the legs, but Maggie is really hard to draw from - her veins are really deep and hard to feel, and they roll. It's even harder if they are sick or dehydrated. After a really hard day of trying to get blood from her about 6 times, she finally tried her jugular (neck vein) and it worked beautifully, with much less stress for everyone. Now her policy for us is to try the leg once, if it fails, go for the neck.

 

[Capri]

Our vet takes from front leg on Newfs and neck from Pug. Our newfs have difficult to find veins in general.

 

[mrs big dogs]

Always front legs

 

[R Taft]

I think vets should learn on Humans, now some of those have difficult veins LOL

 

[cmorgan.1505]

Ok...so this might be a DUH question, but why have them stay with you in the room to draw blood?

 

[nowhavethreebears]

I have never seen them draw anywhere but a front leg. Though I know the neck is the location of choice on hard to stick dogs.

 

[Clifford the big dog]

Clifford had blood drawn just a couple of days ago and it was the front leg.
I try to be in the room for as much as possible. It keeps Clifford calm and I'm happy to help hold him. Most people are good, but sometimes the techs are a little rougher if the owner isn't there. Long ago I`ve had animals just howl as blood was being taken when they took them to the back, never happened when I was there.

 

[lacey9875]

Ok...so this might be a DUH question, but why have them stay with you in the room to draw blood?

Why not? I like to see what they're doing, how they're handling my dog/cat, and I think they do better if I hold them, not some stranger.

My baby, my money, my rules.

 

[NinaA]

Front legs, in the room, generally. Our vets feel that sometimes it's just easier to have the dogs in the back - it tends to make them more submissive and there is more help. Ours are easy going, so they can stay out front, but nothing is harder than trying to draw blood from a black dog.