Chronic catheterization of external iliac vessels in growing cattle

Bovine preparations that allow for in vivo measurement of metabolic fluxes across the hindlimb often suffer from limited durability, usually because of failure of the venous catheter. A catheterization procedure that virtually eliminates this occurrence is presented. A silicone rubber catheter is implanted permanently in the femoral vein. It accommodates the repeated insertion and removal at each sampling session of a temporary sampling catheter. A simple and reliable method ensures the positioning of this catheter in the external iliac vein of a conscious, normally standing animal. The application of this approach allowed the study of hindlimb metabolism of cattle for up to 4 mo without a single planned sampling session postponed or missed. This preparation is particularly well suited for studies that require repeated measurements of hindlimb metabolism on the same animals over a period of many months.