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Establishing and maintaining vascular access is often vital to the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of the small animal emergency surgical patient. Vascular access may be used for the delivery of crystalloids, colloids, blood components, medications, and anesthetic or sedative agents. It can also facilitate venous and arterial blood sampling and allow direct measurement of arterial and venous pressures. Selection of an appropriate catheter and knowledge of placement techniques, maintenance, and use of the various methods of vascular access are essential to the small animal emergency patient and the critical care veterinarian.