A REPEATABLE VENOUS CATHETERIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR SERIAL BLOOD SAMPLING IN GROWING SWINE

A technique is described in which an indwelling vinyl catheter was placed into the anterior vena cava of growing gilts via the jugular vein, threaded through subcutaneous tissue, and exteriorized on the dorsal surface of the neck. Functional for 6 d or more, the catheter was removed nonsurgically without apparent vascular damage and new catheters were installed 30 and 60 d later in the same animals. Repeated serial blood samplings were possible without maintaining long-term chronic catheters in place and with the animals having unrestricted movement in individual pens. Key words: Catheter, vein, swine