Mill Creek Veterinary Services
How to Collect a Blood Sample from a Goat
To draw blood, you need a helper to hold the goat, as well as the following supplies:

3 ml syringes with 3/4-inch 20-gauge needles, one for each goat

Vacutainer red top tubes tubes. We prefer 5 or 10ml tubes.

Clippers, if you need to shave the area, is not required.

Paper, pen, and permanent marker
How to draw blood for testing:
1. Make a list of all goats to be tested, numbering each one. Label the tube with the ID of the goat.
2. Have the helper back the goat into a corner and hold the goat's nose with one hand and around
the chest with the other.
3. Find the jugular vein by pressing on the left side of the goat's throat near the bottom of the
neck.
The vein pops up slightly when you press on it. If you need to, shave the area to more easily locate the
vein.
Feel the vein and insert the needle.
4. Remove the needle cap and insert the needle upward into the skin and vein at an angle nearly
parallel to the vein. Be careful not to the push the needle through the vein.
5. Gently pull back on the plunger.
If blood does not enter the syringe, remove the needle and start over.
6. If you see blood in the syringe, continue pulling the plunger until you have 3 cc.
7. Remove the needle, replace the cap, and put pressure on the goat's neck for 30 seconds.
8. Remove the needle cap, insert the needle into the goat's labeled tube and inject the blood.
When you have finished drawing blood from your goats, refrigerate the samples or prepare them for
delivery to MCVS. See shipping instructions for your next step!