Advanced Animal Handling Skills - Feral Cats - 08 Flashcards
Learning Objectives -Differentiate between “stray” cats vs “feral” -Identify common restraint techniques used in TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) - Recognize that gold standard medicine is difficult in these scenarios
Define what a stray cat is
a cat who has been abandoned or who has become lost. strays can usually be re-socialized & adopted
define what a feral cat is
an unsocialized cat who was born outside & never lived in a home or been away from a home for a long time & became undomesticated
T or F: feral cats are not pet cats & can not be placed up for public adoptions
true - although HEAVILY depends on each situation, can be easier to social kittens below 8 weeks
T or F: all community cats should be spayed/neutered in order to prevent unwanted kittens
true
what is chemical restraint
CR utilizes drugs like sedatives, tranqs & anesthesia to alter the patient’s mental state, allowing the animal to stay immobolized &/or without pain during procedures
T or F: CR is required for a thorough physical exam & treatments needed for our feral patients
true
when we have ferals sedated, what does doing ‘everything’ we can look like?
-full physical
-spay/neuter
-FIV/FeLV testing
-bloodwork
-vaccinations
-parasite control
how would we administer hands-off sedation with ketamine?
give it PO - when the cat hisses, a dose of ketamine can be given by squirting it into the cat’s open mouth
can hands-off sedation (ketamine) also work in the eyes?
yes
how is ketamine absorbed
through the mucous membranes causing a sedative effects
T or F: there’s varying success with the hands-off ketamine sedation method
true - katemine tastes horrible, causes drooling, further angering the patient
T or F: it’s difficult to calculate dosages for hands-off gabapentin sedation
true - no record of weight makes dosaging difficult
T or F: gabapentin is difficult to overdose on
true
T or F: in feral colonies it becomes impossible to dose a specific patient
true
what does hands-off gabapentin sedation do in our feral patients
functions to take the edge off, patient will still need further sedation for hands-on exams & treatments
what is hands-off anesthetic sedation sometimes referred to as
boxing down - anesthetic gas chambers are still used in feral cats in some instances
what is the upside to hands-off anesthetic sedation
works quickly to fully sedate the patient hands-off
what are the downsides of hands-off anesthetic sedation
-safety concerns - inhaling a lot of anesthetic —gas
-short lived
-no pain control
-stressful for the patients
list 6 common tools to have on hand for handling ferals
-cat gloves
-large towels
-feliway
-cat muzzles
-capturing devices
-restraint tools (cats bags, cat lasso, live traps)
why is the cat “panini press” capturing device only meant for quick, short term use
it’s stressful long term - only used as a means of restraint to quickly administer IM or SQ injections
what are some benefits of a cat bag restraint tool
-variety of options, head can be inside
-zippers allow you to unzip & pull-out a leg
-zippers allow you to find a muscle for -injections
-thick material protects from scratching & biting
T or F: the cat lasso is a last resort for restraining cats
true
T or F: makehsift versions of the cat lasso can be made from leashes
true
how should we use the cat lasso
place the lasso around the cat’s shoulders to avoid choking & hold just long enough to get a good hold on the cat to administer sedation
