Blood tests

[Pig & Pymble]

Hello, just wondering about piggies who’ve had blood tests, and how their procedure was done?

My exotic trained vet does it fairly regularly on small furries (including smaller than a GP!) using a general anaesthetic and taking from a vein near the heart (from Googling it seems to be a recommended way) but it does carry risk. If anyone’s had a positive experience of it, it’d be great to know!

 

[piggieminder]

Mine uses a light sedation and takes it from a vein in the neck. Peanut was sleepy for a few days (we found out afterwards he has a strong reactio to the sedative) and needed top up syringe feeding, other than that he was fine.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

In Austria the vets take the sample from a vein in the leg without any sedation.

 

[h_and_piggies]

When Billy needed a blood test they had to put him under anaesthesia to take the sample from a vein near the heart because his blood pressure was too low to take it any other way. He came through the anaesthetic but he took a few days to perk up. I hope they find out what’s happening with your piggy.

 

[Pig & Pymble]

Mine uses a light sedation and takes it from a vein in the neck. Peanut was sleepy for a few days (we found out afterwards he has a strong reactio to the sedative) and needed top up syringe feeding, other than that he was fine.

When Billy needed a blood test they had to put him under anaesthesia to take the sample from a vein near the heart because his blood pressure was too low to take it any other way. He came through the anaesthetic but he took a few days to perk up. I hope they find out what’s happening with your piggy.

Sorry - I hadn't checked back as got caught up in guinea pig stuff and life!
That's really helpful to know! I'm so glad these went well, that's really reassuring. It sounds exactly the way mine will be doing it (haven't got him booked in just yet) so fingers crossed for a similar outcome.

 

[Pig & Pymble]

In Austria the vets take the sample from a vein in the leg without any sedation.

Interesting! I've not seen that mentioned in the UK at all