ARCHIVE FILE
This article was published in 1961
See the original document
INSTITUTE OF INSPECTORS OF STOCK OF N.S.W. YEAR BOOK.
Blood Sampling of Sheep
A NEW METHOD
E. G. LOWE, B.V.Sc., Veterinary Inspector, Coonamble
The difficulties associated with the taking of blood samples from the jugular vein of sheep are too well known to require repeating. The method outlined in this article was evolved to obviate these difficulties and speed up the work.
Regional Anatomy: The distal part of the nasal cavity is bounded dorsally by the nasal bone, medially by the nasal septum, the palate and the palatine process of the premaxilla, and laterally the space between the nasal bone and the premaxilla is filled by skin, connective tissue and mucous membrane. Contiguous with the nasal septum and lateral to it lies the turbinate bone, with its highly vascular mucosa which bleeds freely on even slight trauma.
Equipment: Plastic bucket for water; Towel; Eartags and pliers; Tenotomy knife No. 2 with fused blade; Blood bottles.
Method: A ram is caught, backed into a corner and held securely by an assistant standing astride it, the head being held in a normal position. After eartagging for identification, the bottle is marked appropriately. The operator then takes the tenotomy knife, holding the cutting edge uppermost, and inserts it, at right angles to the median plane of the skull, through the skin, as close to the bony angle of the nasal bone and premaxilla as possible, to a depth of about one inch. The depth of the insertion depends on the width of the nasal cavity and may vary from ¾" to 1½". Following the incision the head is forced down, when the blood flows freely from the external nares and can be collected readily. The label on the bottle may be kept clean by covering it with the thumb during collection.
Sheep so treated lick the muzzle which is coated with blood for about 30 minutes, after which period bleeding has ceased. but there appear to be no ill effects and healing is rapid. Using this method Merino, Border Leicester and Dorset Horn rams including many stud rams, have been bled without untoward sequelae or objections from owners.
The method is rapid and does not tire unduly the operators. In the field two people can carry out this method quite easily, but a team of 3, or even 4, is preferable. A team consists of:—
Operator; Clerk (for writing up and eartagging); 1 or 2 assistants for holding rams.
In the case of large and powerful rams one assistant straddles the ram and holds the head while the second helps to immobilise the ram by pushing it against the wall with his knee in the ram's flank. With smaller rams each assistant holds one ram and while the operator bleeds the first, the clerk is tagging the second and marking the bottle in preparation.