How to draw blood from a goat

In this post, I will show how to draw blood from a goat to test for common diseases that are part of the biosecurity panel like CAE, CL, Johne's, and for pregnancy. Doing a blood draw is simple when you know what to do. This post will alleviate any intimidation you might have. In my next post, I will cover how to find a lab and how to package and mail blood samples.

This post may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase through my link which is of no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

I am not a veterinarian, this is only an example of what we do with our animals. Please consult your vet before making any health decisions with your animals.

Why do you need to know how to draw blood from your goats?

The biggest reason you should learn how to do a blood draw on your goats is to save money on vet bills. It's important to keep track of the health and biosecurity of your herd. Testing your goats regularly can help prevent diseases from spreading to other animals.

We have 8 goats right now so to pay a vet to come out and do a blood draw would be quite expensive. It would cost hundreds of dollars to have a vet come to draw blood from all our goats.

Testing your herd for a biosecurity panel will allow you to sell your goats as coming from a "clean-tested herd". Many people will only buy from a clean tested herd, myself included. You will have an easier time selling your goats and can ask a bit more for each sale.

Learning to take a blood sample from your goats can also tell you (without a doubt) if they are pregnant. This is very useful when you are trying to coordinate mating times with a buck. Knowing your goats are pregnant will help you better prepare for kids in the spring. The pregnancy test can be performed from the same blood vial as the other tests for diseases.

How often should you test your herd?

We test our herd every autumn about a month after our girls have been exposed to the buck. We test for pregnancy success and for the biosecurity panel which includes Johnes, Cl, and CAE. You can also test for Q Fever.

It's also a good idea to test after any outside animals join your herd.

Supplies for a goat blood draw

-Stanchion

-And/or someone to help you hold the goat's neck.

-Lister Star Electric Sheep Shears

-red top vial

-18 gauge needle Luer Lock (1" or 1-1/4")

-syringe Luer Lock (5 or 10ml)

-clean cotton pad

-isopropyl alcohol

Finding supplies to draw blood on a goat

We use Sage Laboratory to test our herd. They sell everything you need to do a blood draw on a goat except the larger syringe. I suggest using the 10 ml Luer Lock syringe because it's easier to handle, you can find this at most farm supply stores. You can order your blood draw kit from Sage Laboratory.

You will need 3ccs of blood for this test.

Preparing the goat for a blood draw

Taking a blood sample works best if you have a helper. Especially if it's your first time. Have someone hold the goat's head against their body exposing the neck.

We like to put our goats on the stanchion and then Zach curves the neck around the upright post exposing the neck to me so I can take the sample.

I also get all my supplies ready and easy to access.

Prepare the needle by removing the bottom cap and twisting it onto the end of the syringe. I also like to get my alcohol pad ready and an extra alcohol pad for after the needle is removed.

How to find the jugular vein in a goat

The easiest place to draw blood on a goat is in the jugular vein, located on either side of the neck. If you run your hands down the side of the goat's neck you'll feel a large muscle that runs from the lower jaw to the shoulder (shown in red). Moving to the front toward the throat, you'll feel an indent that runs the length of the muscle. In front of this muscle is the trachea in the center of the throat. (shown in blue) The jugular vein can be found in that indent between the neck muscle and the trachea. (shown in green)

From the jaw, I like to move about a third down the neck. If you press against the indent you will feel the vein. If you hold and press, you will notice the blood will pool above your finger and create a small pillow (shown in blue). This is where you want to insert the needle. (shown in green)

It's not necessary, but clipping the goat's fur very short can help you see this more clearly, especially on dark-coated goats.

Drawing blood from the goat

Prepare your needle by screwing it into the syringe keeping the lid on the needle until you're ready to insert it into the goat.

Rub the area with alcohol on a cotton ball.

Press the area so the vein bulges with your non-dominant thumb. When you're ready, remove the cap (I use my teeth as a third hand) and insert the needle at a 25-degree angle into the bulge in the vein. The pointiest side of the needle should be toward the goat.

Keep your thumb pressing on the vein. Slowly begin to draw back the syringe plunger and the syringe should fill with blood if you're in the right spot.

When you have a little over 3 cc's, get another clean cotton pad ready. Remove the needle and press against the puncture with the cotton pad to stop the bleeding. Put the cap on the needle until you're ready to fill the red cap vial.

Once the bleeding has stopped, remove the needle cap and insert the needle through the rubber barrier on the vial. The vacuum seal should immediately draw the blood into the tube.