Summary: Heimann et al. (2009)

Veterinary practice, research and drug development has relied heavily on blood examination in laboratory animals. One of the common methods used for extracting blood from rodents is the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture. The advantage to this technique is the ability to harvest high volumes of blood, however, this technique can lead to extensive tissue damage, so much so that this method is only currently accepted if the procedure results in termination. Heimann et al. (2009) developed a novel puncture technique for rodents from the sublingual vein as an alternative to the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture technique. They found that large volumes of blood could be obtained using this method and that the method was suitable for rats, mice and hamsters. However, the sublingual vein in guinea pigs is not peripherally located, making this method impossible for these rodents. Heimann et al. (2009) also noted that sublingual venepuncture resulted in less tissue destruction in mice and, therefore, recommended this method over the retrobulbar venous plexus puncture technique.