Efficiency and safety of a technique for drawing blood from the hamster cranial vena cava

The authors evaluated the efficiency and safety of a technique for drawing blood from the cranial vena cava of the hamster (Mesocricetus auratus). They collected blood from Golden Syrian hamsters (n = 15) and from epileptic hamsters (GASH/Sal strain; n = 10) that were anesthetized with isoflurane. Four epileptic hamsters constituted a control group that underwent anesthesia but not blood collection. For blood sampling, a needle connected to a syringe was inserted at a site between 0.2 and 0.6 cm from the manubrium; the depth of insertion was 0.3-1.0 cm. Blood collection was successful in all hamsters except one, and the volume of collected blood ranged from 0.2 ml to 1.5 ml. All hamsters recovered quickly from the procedure, and none showed obvious signs of pain or stress. At necropsy (24 h after the procedure), six subjects showed small local hematomas, and eight showed vascular lacerations of limited severity. Lungs and hearts did not show any damage related to vein puncture. This relatively simple blood collection technique seems to be efficient and safe in hamsters.