📝 STANDARD DESCRIPTION:
Deep veins: Run with arteries (femoral vein, popliteal vein, etc.) → drain into External Iliac vein → caudal vena cava.
Superficial Veins (clinically important):
1. Medial Saphenous Vein — medial side of leg & thigh.
2. Lateral Saphenous Vein = RECURRENT TARSAL VEIN in dog — courses along lateral side of leg above hock. STANDARD IV INJECTION SITE in DOG.
3. Cephalic-like Tributaries in dog → drain into femoral vein.
Pelvic veins: Internal Iliac vein drains pelvic viscera.
VENIPUNCTURE SITES:
- DOG: Lateral Saphenous (Recurrent Tarsal) vein for IV injection above the hock.
- HORSE/COW: Saphenous veins are not commonly used; jugular preferred.
- HORSE: 'Spur vein' (lateral thoracic) sometimes accessible.
📚 DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
VEINS OF HINDLIMB — clinically the SUPERFICIAL ones matter most
Veins of the hindlimb run in two layers — DEEP veins go alongside the arteries (femoral vein, popliteal vein, tibial vein), and SUPERFICIAL veins run just under the skin. Both ultimately drain into the EXTERNAL ILIAC VEIN → caudal vena cava.
DEEP SYSTEM:
Tibial veins → Popliteal vein → Femoral vein → External Iliac vein → Caudal Vena Cava → Right Atrium.
SUPERFICIAL VEINS (the IV sites):
1. MEDIAL SAPHENOUS VEIN: Runs up the medial side of the leg and thigh. Drains into the femoral vein. Used for venipuncture in cats and small animals.
2. LATERAL SAPHENOUS / RECURRENT TARSAL VEIN: Runs upward along the lateral aspect of the leg, just above the hock, on the back-and-side surface. Easily visible & raisable in DOGS by applying pressure above the hock.
This is the STANDARD intravenous injection site in dogs (along with the cephalic vein in the forelimb).
3. PUDENDOEPIGASTRIC TRUNK / CRANIAL EPIGASTRIC VEIN: Drains the udder + caudal abdominal wall in lactating cows. The 'milk vein' in dairy cows runs along the ventral abdomen (subcutaneously) and ends at the milk well — visible huge tortuous superficial vein.
VENOUS BLOOD COLLECTION SITES — UG MEMORY:
• Cattle/buffalo → JUGULAR vein (or coccygeal/tail vein for small samples).
• Horse → JUGULAR vein.
• Dog/Cat → Cephalic vein (forelimb) or LATERAL SAPHENOUS / Recurrent tarsal vein (hindlimb).
• Pig → cranial vena cava (jugular fossa) or ear vein.
// COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
| DOG |
RECURRENT TARSAL (lateral saphenous) vein = standard IV injection site above the hock. |
| COW (LACTATING) |
MILK vein (subcutaneous abdominal vein) very prominent — was used for IV in old practice but now jugular is preferred. |
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
IV Injection Sites — UG must-know:
• Dog → Lateral saphenous (recurrent tarsal) above hock OR cephalic in forelimb.
• Cattle → Jugular OR coccygeal vein.
• Horse → Jugular vein.
Bier Block / IVRA in cattle hindlimb: Tourniquet above hock + injection into a superficial dorsal vein → entire foot anaesthetised. Used for foot surgery.
