Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Introduction
The literature states that veterinary professionals should clip the hair of a dog on the forelimb before blood sampling via the cephalic vein [ 1 ] . In some cases , this is justified for hygiene reasons [ 2 ] . However , a clear definition of the term ‘ hygiene ’ in this context appears to be lacking in the existing literature .
In this article , ‘ hygienically beneficial ’ is defined as a lower detected bacterial presence . A literature search on the topic found no evidence to support whether or not clipping the area before blood sampling via the cephalic vein is hygienically beneficial . This suggests that further research is needed to provide animal health professionals with evidence-based guidance on best practice .
The cephalic , jugular and lateral saphenous veins can be used for blood sampling in dogs [ 1 , 3 ] , and the cephalic vein was chosen for sampling in this study . The focus of the study was to investigate hygiene in blood sampling .
Clipping or shaving a dog ' s hair can cause dermatological problems and complications , including micro-ulcers on the skin surface [ 4 ] .
Messiaen et al . [ 5 ] performed a study on the presence of bacteria on the skin of dogs after clipping with different sizes of clipper blades . The results showed that clipping hair with a No . 40 blade ( approximate hair length 0.25 mm ) resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of erythema and higher numbers of Micrococcaceae bacteria , compared with when a No . 10 blade was used for clipping ( approximate hair length 1.5 mm ).
Erythema can be described as a reddening of the skin caused by vasodilation of the superficial blood vessels of the skin [ 6 ] . Closely clipping the coat can cause superficial damage to the skin and changes in the skin ' s microbiota , and can provoke the dog to lick the surface of the skin . It can also cause dermatitis and bacterial skin infections [ 7 ] .
Diseases that affect the skin , such as atopic dermatitis , can also affect the normal microbiota of the skin . Atopic dermatitis is a common genetically predisposed disease that leads to itching and inflammation of the skin . The itching that occurs can lead to skin damage when the dog scratches , chews on the skin or licks itself intensely . This can also cause chronic changes in the skin [ 8 ] .
Aims
The primary aim of the study was to determine whether clipping a dog ' s hair before blood sampling provides a hygienic benefit . This was assessed by comparing the number of bacterial colonies on the clipped forelimbs of dogs versus the unclipped forelimbs of the same dogs .
The study sought to determine whether there was a hygienic difference , with respect to the number of detectable bacterial colonies cultured from skin swabs , between clipping and not clipping before venous blood sampling via the cephalic vein in dogs .
The null hypothesis was that there is no statistically significant difference between clipping and not clipping before blood sampling when the blood is taken from the cephalic vein .
Materials and methods
This study used 20 teaching beagle dogs : 14 adults ( 12 females and two males , aged 2.5 – 4 years ) and six adolescents ( two males and four females , aged 17 weeks ).
The dogs lived together at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences ( SLU ), Sweden , in groups of four individuals per room . The dogs had access to daily outdoor activities adjacent to the room and were also taken on daily walks . None of the dogs used in the study were medicated or subjected to other treatments during the study .
The principles of basic hygiene care were followed throughout the process . Hands were cleaned and disinfected with rubbing alcohol before clipping the dogs ' limbs and sampling , and gloves were worn . Masks and visors were used in line with the Covid-19 recommendations in place at the time of the study .
In this study , the words ‘ clipped ’, ‘ unclipped ’ and ‘ disinfected ’ will be used regularly . ‘ Clipped ’ means that the hair was removed with standard clippers ( Aesculap Isis [ 9 ] ), which cut the hair to a length of about 0.5 mm . ‘ Unclipped ’ means that the hair was not removed in any way . ‘ Disinfected ’ means that chlorhexidine alcohol 5 mg / ml was rubbed on to the skin and hair for 10 seconds with a cotton ball . The term ‘ blood sampling ’ refers to sampling via the cephalic vein unless otherwise stated .
As some of the dogs had been used previously for education purposes , they were clipped on one or both front legs . If there were any signs of erythema or wounds over the cephalic vein on the front legs , they were sampled proximal or distal to the erythema or wound .
Volume 40 ( 1 ) • February 2025
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