Occlusion prevents the use of vascular loops for blood sampling and dosing in minipigs

Abstract

Continous blood sampling and intravenous dosing are difficult in pigs, especially minipigs. A skin loop containing the jugular vein or the carotid artery has been used for solving this problem in other species of animals, but it has never been
attempted in the pig. In this study eight such skin loops were made on minipigs, which technically caused only a few problems. Shortening the loop and widening the distance between the two parallel incisions reduced problems of necrosis
and improper wound healing. A juvenile pig did not show such problems. However, in all loops excessive formation of fibrotie tissue occluded the vessel after approximately six days. We, therefore, conclude that although the surgical technique is
possible: further modification, e.g, by insertion of a rigid artificial vessel or an in-dwelling catheter, is necessary, before vascular loops can he used as a method for continuous sampling and dosing in minipigs.