Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

In this course the veterinary technology student will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become proficient in the various methods of specimen collection in both large and small animals.  

This is designed for first year veterinary technology students and is a graduation requirement for the Associates Degree in Applied Sciences in Veterinary Technology.  Credits in this course are not transferable to a four-year school towards a baccalaureate degree.  

There is no specific text required for this course. 

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate the skills necessary to collect blood samples in small and large animals.
• Demonstrate the skills needed to collect urine specimens from small animals.

This course is designed to be a laboratory course.  It is a one-credit-hour course that meets for three-laboratory hours per week.  

The topics this course will include are blood sample and urine sample collection in both large and small animals.

The grading of this course will be pass/no pass.  Grades will be based on attendance, performance in the laboratory, and periodic proficiency tests.  The number of proficiency tests is left to the discretion of the individual instructor, as is the weighting of attendance, laboratory performance, and the proficiency tests.  To receive a passing grade, the student must have attended a minimum of 80 percent of each of the laboratory classes.

Laboratory tasks with an asterisk indicate tasks the student must be able to perform because they are listed as “essential tasks,” and tasks with two (**) asterisks indicate tasks considered to be “recommended tasks” by the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities of the American Veterinary Medical Association.  Tasks with no asterisks are considered neither “essential” nor “recommended,” but are taught based on instructor, SACC, and/or advisory committee recommendations.  This course content guide specifies which tasks students are required to perform (as indicated in the task description) and the tasks on which they have been educated and have observed but individual performance is not required.

1.0  Blood Sample Collection 
Instructional goal:
The goal is for the student to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become proficient in the various methods of blood sample collection in small and large animals. 
OBJECTIVES: 
1.1.0  Small Animal Blood Sample Collection 
    1.1.1  Identify the various sites of blood collection in the dog and cat.  
    a. Cephalic vein in the dog and cat.
    b. Jugular vein in the dog and cat.
    c. Lateral saphenous vein in the dog.
    d. Medial (great) saphenous vein in the cat. 
    1.1.2  Perform venipuncture of the cephalic and jugular vein in the dog and cat to  obtain a 2-2 cc blood sample using:*
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top vacutainer tube (henceforth to be called a lavender top tube and red top tube,                       respectively).
    b. The vacutainer system to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube.
    1.1.3  Perform venipuncture of the lateral saphenous vein in the dog to obtain a 2-3 cc blood sample using:* 
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube.
    b. The vacutainer system to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube. 
    1.1.4  Perform venipuncture of the medial (great) saphenous vein in the cat to fill a heparinized syringe with a 0.5 cc blood sample. 
1.2.0  Large Animal Blood Sample Collection 
    1.2.1  Identify the various sites of blood collection in the horse, sheep, and ox (cattle).* 
    a. Horse 
        1)    Jugular vein 
    b. Sheep 
        1)    Cephalic vein
        2)    Jugular vein 
    c. Ox 
        1)    Jugular vein
        2)    Coccygeal vein 
     1.2.2 Perform venipuncture of the jugular vein in the horse to obtain a 3 cc blood sample using:*
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube.
    b. The vacutainer system to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube. 
    1.2.3  Perform venipuncture of the cephalic and jugular vein in the sheep to obtain a 2-3 cc blood sample using:*
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube.
    b. The vacutainer system to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube. 
    1.2.4  Perform venipuncture of the jugular vein in the ox (cattle) to obtain a 2-3 cc blood sample using:* 
     a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube.
    b. The vacutainer system to fill a lavender top tube and a red top tube. 
    1.2.5  Perform venipuncture of the coccygeal vein in the cow to obtain a 2 cc blood sample using:**
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube. 
    1.2.6  Perform venipuncture of an ear vein in swine to obtain a 3 cc blood sample using:** 
    a. A syringe and needle to fill a lavender top tube. 
2.0 Urine Sample Collection
Instructional goal:
The goal is for the student to develop the knowledge and skills to become proficient in the various methods of urine sample collection in small animals. 
2.1.0      Small Animal Urine Collection 
    2.1.1  Identify the various methods of urine sample collection in the dog and cat. 
    a. Urethral catheterization of the male and female dog and cat.*
    b. Cystocentesis of the male and female dog and cat.*
    c. Bladder expression of the cat. 
    2.1.2  Insert a urinary catheter in the male dog, using sterile technique to collect 10 cc of urine.* 
    2.1.3  Insert a urinary  catheter in the female dog, using a sterile technique to collect 10 cc’s of urine.  Perform both the visual and            tactile methods of catheter placement.*
    2.1.4  Perform cystocentesis in the male and female cat (or dog) using sterile technique to collect 3 cc’s of urine.* 
    2.1.5  Collect urine from a male and female dog during the normal urination act (attempt to catch a midstream sample, i.e. a ‘ccms’,  
              clean catch midstream). 
    2.1.6  Express the bladder of a female cat to obtain a 5 cc sample of urine. 
    2.1.7  Insert a queen catheter in a female cat, using sterile technique and obtain a urine sample.*