Laura goes to Vet School: Ode to the median cubital vein

You are my favorite vein of the thoracic limb.
Do not ask why, as it as mysterious of an obsession as a dog to a flying stick. Or a thrown ball.

I must thank you, Stag, my lovely formalin perfumed dog, for showing me such a beautiful vein.

On another note. Ever wonder why dogs and cats hate getting IV catheters in their arms if you don't get them in on the first try?? Well, I suppose they don't like it even if you do get it in right away, but anyway, I've forgotten my point. Oh yes, that is right, pain. There is this ginormous nerve going through the arm called the radial nerve. It passes from inside the shoulder area to the outside of the elbow then diverges into many branches to extend a forearm, but also there are two specific branches, the medial and lateral branches of the superficial ramus of the radial nerve. These two branches border the cephalic (arm) vein just perfectly. That way, the animal will be sure to know if you stab an IV cath needle on either side of the cephalic vein. I'm sorry all you poor animals that I learned on. Good thing most of you were sedated while I attempted this brutal act of IV catheterization. I may or may not have just made that word up...

Now, please excuse my above nerdiness and enjoy the following pictures. Again, that sentence may or may not have included a made up word.

P.S. My volleyball team is named The Pudendals. Not a made up word. Dr. Moffit taught us that the pudendal arteries supply the organs of shame. That's right, we named our team after an artery supplying organs of shame. I'll let you stew on that one for a while.