Deborah W. Kemmerer, DVM West End Animal Hospital 103 SW 140th Terrace Newberry, FL 32669 (352)332-4357 I feel I must enter the fray concerning blood-drawing, since it's a subject upon which I advise dozens of vets every year. I take exception with the statement that "all methods of drawing blood are risky". The method I use is simple (once you practice a little), does not require anesthesia, allows one to draw from 0.1 cc's to 10 cc's, and is so safe all my technicians can do it. I rarely have to draw blood myself anymore, except to demonstrate to people. I have heard other vets express concern, since this method involves taking blood from the cranial vena cava, which is where the two jugular veins converge. They tend to be concerned because this is the same area used to draw blood in pigs, and in pigs it is theoretically dangerous. However, I've used this method for thirteen years and have taught scores of people how to do it. No ferret has ever died or had a serious problem. The worst complication I've ever seen is a hematoma, and even that was small. I hope that's helpful. Debbie Kemmerer DVM [Posted in FML issue 2928]