Abdominal vena cava
Please read the general principles of blood sampling page before attempting any blood sampling procedure.
This is a suitable method to obtain a single, large, good quality blood sample when the marmoset is under terminal anaesthesia or euthanised, as the body cavity must be opened to expose the blood vessel.
A laparotomy is performed and viscera are moved to one side to identify the abdominal vena cava. Surrounding connective tissue and fat are then removed to expose and isolate the vessel. Application of finger pressure to the blood vessel can help dilate the vessel. Depending on the size of the marmoset, up to 10 ml of blood can be collected. Care should be taken to withdraw the blood slowly to prevent the vessel collapsing.
Summary
| Number of samples | One |
| Sample volume | Up to 10 ml |
| Equipment | 19G needle |
| Staff resource | Two people are required: one to take the blood sample and another to perform the anaesthesia (unless carried out on a euthanised animal). |
Resources and references
All blood sampling techniques in the marmoset
