Jugular vascular access port implantation for frequent, long-term blood sampling in cats: Methodology, assessment, and comparison with jugular catheters

Long-term, frequent venous access for diagnostic, therapeutic, or research purposes in cats is problematic. Frequent blood sampling over extended periods is necessary for some therapeutic regimes and often required for clinical research in veterinary science. In this paper, we describe the implantation of vascular access ports (VAPs) and assess their use for repeated blood sampling over 16 weeks and 38 weeks, as well as the use of jugular catheters for one week. The VAP placement procedure was well-tolerated with few minor complications (minor swelling, contusion, or superficial dermatitis from self-trauma), which were not observed when neck bandages were applied immediately after surgery. Thromboembolism occurred in two cats, but did not occur after switching to a smaller catheter with a rounded tip and taurolidine-citrate locking solution. Although duration of access was much longer with VAPs compared to jugular catheters, patency rates were similar (89% (n = 28) to 92% (n = 12) after 16 weeks and 75% (n = 12) after 38 weeks for VAPs; 88% (n = 49) after one week for jugular catheters). Behavioural reactions to blood collection from 30 cats—assessed over 16 weeks and comprising 378 collections—were absent or minor in 99% of collections. These findings indicate that VAPs offer a viable alternative to jugular catheters for studies requiring frequent blood sampling and lasting more than 2 weeks.