Blood Draw on Alpacas - Do It Yourself from the Tail

There are certain things we can do as livestock owners and breeders that can save us a vet visit and bill and allow us to get things done on our own time with less stress for the alpaca. It is very handy to know how to do a blood draw on an alpaca.

Whether you need a few drops for an Alpaca Registry DNA test or 1-2 ml for a progesterone test, these simple steps can lead you on the way to being a more self-sufficient farmer.

1. Use a 20 gauge needle that is 1" long.
2. Have someone hold the alpaca on halter, facing the alpaca and in front of the shoulder to prevent lunging forward.
3. You will lift the tail with your left hand (if you are right handed), not higher than horizontal or you'll restrict circulation.
4. With your right hand, scrub the under-side of the tail well with an antibacterial wipe. Lie the wipe on the alpaca's back, clean side up to be used after the blood draw.
5. The plunger should be pulled out just a bit so that you can see the flash of blood as you hit the vein.
6. Feel around with your finger for the vein. Sometimes it helps to close your eyes or lower the tail in a more relaxed position to find the vein.
7. Even if you aren't sure you located the vein you're likely to find it once you insert the needle.
8. It is approximately 1" from the base of the tail and right under the skin. You can move up or down a bit until you are able to find it.
9. Insert needle slowly, almost parallel to the skin. Move SLOWLY so that you can stop when you see blood in your syringe. Most people go too deep and go right thru the vein and dead end at the bone.
10. When you see the blood, draw back on the syringe with your right hand. You can use your left to hold the needle in place. If the alpaca jerks and you loose it, you can find the source of blood easily and either re-insert or draw directly from the wound.
11. Once done, hold the antibacterial wipe on the wound with pressure til the bleeding stops, usually within 30 seconds.
12. Praise your alpaca.

There are many laboratories that you can send blood to for a progesterone test. The one I use is Rocky Mountain Instrumental Laboratories. For $20 I can confirm a pregnancy. They supply the vial and can email you the results within days.