Figure 6.

Suggested procedure for ear tip bleeding and FIV point‐of‐care (PoC) testing, adapted from ear prick sampling for blood glucose testing. Ideally, a vein on the dorsal (outside) surface of the pinna is used for sampling; alternatively, if a vein is unable to be visualised (e.g., dark‐coloured cats), the medial (inside) surface of the pinna can be used (A). The pinna should be massaged prior to sampling to encourage blood flow to the tip of the pinna. The skin is pricked with a 25 g needle, and a drop of blood squeezed directly onto the test kit strip (B). Gentle compression of the puncture site afterwards will result in the bleeding stopping. Fractious cats can be gently restrained using a towel wrap while sampling is performed. Images kindly provided by Dr Jeffrey So.