# Question from a neophyte re: preg testing



## phoenixmama (Nov 17, 2010)

For those that do pregnancy tests using blood (I'm assuming there's more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak)...do you take the blood yourself or call in your veterinarian for that job?


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Nov 17, 2010)

I take it myself. It's very easy! If you can give a vaccine you can draw blood.  Google the Biotracking website, they have very clear instructions for drawing blood.  You can do it!


----------



## freemotion (Nov 17, 2010)

Vets are ridiculously expensive here.  I got my kit from BioPRYN and they link to instructions for drawing blood on their site, so I did my own.  Did CAE at the same time and had a couple of surprises....not what I expected.

I've watched vet's draw blood from horses a bazillion times during my years working in the horse industry full time, so I found it rather easy after the first couple of tentative tries.  When I switched from trying to use the vacuum tubes to using a regular syringe, which I was very used to using from giving a bazillion injections over the years, it went more smoothly for me.

An important key is to have a steady person restraining the goat.  They barely feel it if they don't move around.  

Go for it!


----------



## Slightly Cracked (Nov 17, 2010)

I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and it went really well. I have drawn blood on people, horses and chickens but never goats. 
 Have a person that can hold the goat really well for you, that makes all the difference in the world!


----------



## phoenixmama (Nov 17, 2010)

aggieterpkatie said:
			
		

> I take it myself. It's very easy! If you can give a vaccine you can draw blood.  Google the Biotracking website, they have very clear instructions for drawing blood.  You can do it!


Yes!  I was planning on using BioTracking...so I can do CAE at the same time.  And come to think of it...I used to draw blood from horses multiple times a day back in my college days working at my school's veterinary teaching hospital.  

Okay...I'm feeling braver now.


----------



## phoenixmama (Nov 17, 2010)

freemotion said:
			
		

> When I switched from trying to use the vacuum tubes to using a regular syringe, which I was very used to using from giving a bazillion injections over the years, it went more smoothly for me.
> 
> An important key is to have a steady person restraining the goat.  They barely feel it if they don't move around.
> 
> Go for it!


Well dog gone it, freemotion.  I felt brave for a second.  Then it occurred to me that I always used the vacuum tubes.  I've done that many more times than giving injections.  Hopefully I'll do fine...with my strapping husband holding the girls talking to him in his special sweet voice reserved for does and puppies.


----------



## helmstead (Nov 18, 2010)

I use vac tubes when drawing blood, so much easier than the syringe method shown on the internet...just remember to remove the vac tube before you withdraw the needle so you don't suck air.


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Nov 18, 2010)

I've used both methods and don't really prefer one over the other.  They're both pretty easy.  And if you've drawn blood from horses it's the same, just on a smaller scale.


----------



## freemotion (Nov 18, 2010)

phoenixmama said:
			
		

> freemotion said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is just me  and I don't know why the vacuum tube method didn't work for me.  Probably because my dad was holding the goat and my husband was taking pictures and they were both razzing me!   I'd never drawn blood before or used a vacuum tube, but had given hundreds, probably thousands, of injections to horses, many of them uncooperative, so I was pretty quick and accurate with a syringe.  If you've drawn blood from horses, goats will be super easy for you.  Really.

Let us know how it goes!


----------



## swest (Nov 22, 2010)

http://www.biotracking.com/goats

http://www.biotracking.com/labs

Here are the links to biotracking, I contacted my local lab here in IN and they had a 10 head test kit sent to me in 2 days. It's real accurate and inexpensive. The blood draw is a breeze as well:

http://www.boergoats.com/clean/articleads.php?art=64

I hope this helps, I know the information above is good to have in your back pocket as well.

Good luck!


----------

