Feline Cage Removal and Restraint Flashcards
What should you do before opening a cage door?
-Determine the cat’s receptiveness
-Close the door to the room
-Approach slowly
-Talk softly
-Listen to cues
What are the audible receptive cues?
Meowing, purring, chirping
What are the audible non-receptive cues?
Growling, hissing, chattering, screaming
What are the receptive postures?
Approaches cage door, aches back, rubs on cage, rolls on back
What are the non-receptive postures?
Crouching, hiding at the back of the cage, slinking, striking
What are receptive eyes?
Eyes are normal width or partially closed, iris visible
What are non-receptive eyes?
Eyes darting, open wide, pupils dialated
What is the receptive eat position?
Ears erect
What is the non-receptive ear position?
Ears back
What is receptive tail movement?
Erect, relaxed, slow wave as tip
What is non-receptive tail movement?
Thumping, flicking, rapidly twitching tail
What is receptive paw movement?
Kneading, curling paws
What is non-receptive paw movement?
Raising paw, striking
How to get a cat out of a carrier
-Open door
-Tilt downward
-Let the cat step out
How to get a cat out of a cage
-Open the door enough to stick an arm in
-Try to stroke the cat’s head and back to gauge receptiveness
How handle a moderately non-receptive cat
-Scruff and restain front or back legs
-Use bite gloves
-Towel wrap
How to handle a non-receptive cat
-Remain aware of claws and teeth
-Wait for cat to calm down, don’t try to calm it
-Distract cat so you can touch it without being injured
-Move calmly and quickly to retrieve cat
How to handle an outwardly aggressive cat
Use a…
-Scratch shield
-Clam shell
-Net
-Bite gloves
-Snare/noose
-Induction box
How to use a scratch shield
-Remove items from cage if possible
-Slide scratch shield upright to cage
-Compress cat against back of cage
-Inject through holes in shield
How to use the clam shield
-Remove items from cage if possible
-Pull handles apart to open
-Enclose cat in clam shell
-Pull handles together to close
-Can inject through netting
How to use a snare/noose
-Hold handle of snare
-Place snare around neck
-Pull snug
-Use snare to pull cat forward with one hand
-Scruff w/ other hand
How to use an induction box
-Dump from carrier into induction box or scruff and place in
-Quickly place lid and hold down
-WILL PUT CAT TO SLEEP USE IN EXTREME CASES
What is non-manipulative restraint?
Keeping the cat in one place to it can be examined or a procedure can be done
How to scruff
Grasp nape of neck will all fingers of one hand
What does a cat muzzle do?
Intended to keep cat from biting but may also obstruct vision
What does an elizabethan collar (e-collar) do?
-Prevents self-mutilation
-Can be used to protect people from bites
What does a cat bag/sack do?
-Prevents cat from scratching
-Can be used to restrain cats for procedures or anesthesia
-Many cats feel more comfortable in it
How to stretch a cat
-Scruff with one hand
-Hold hind feet with other hand and pull caudally
-Brace forearm that is scruffing along the back
How to restrain a compliant cat for femoral venipuncture
-Place upturned hand under the jaw
-Wrap thumb under its ear and around to the back of the head
-Fingers of the same hand wrapped under jaw and up the side of the face toward the back of the other side
How to restrain a non-compliant cat for femoral venipuncture
Stretch the cat
What does the other hand do during the femoral venipuncture restraint?
-Lightly hold tail in your palm and bring it against the abdomen in a caudial to cranial direction
-Grasp the foot of the up leg between your thumb and the index finger side of your hand and push it toward the abdomen
-Set the pinkie side of the hand on the down leg and slide it to the abdomen to scoop that cat’s fat pouch
-Once you reach the abdomen, use the pinkie side of the hand to press down on the medial aspect of the ‘down’ thigh
How to restraint for cephalic venipuncture
-Place hand across the front of throat
-Scruff instead if necessary
-Use elbow of same arm to press cat’s body against you side with other hand
-Reach thumb across foreleg, press, roll cephalic vein laterally
The cephalic vein runs on the…
Medial aspect of the forelimb
What is another name for femoral venipuncture?
Medical saphenous venipuncture
How to restrain for jugular venipuncture in sternal recumbency
-Hold cat’s forelegs as the elbow
-Pull forelegs straight down off over the table edge
-At the same time, place finger of the other hand under the cats chin and lift upward to make a straight line from forefeet to chin
-Keep fingers out of way of jugular vein
How to restrain for jugular venipuncture in lateral recumbency
-Hold cat’s forlegs at elbiw
-Press forelegs down against chest/abdomen
-Raise head to make a straight line from feet to chin
In what positions can jugular venipuncture be done?
Sternal recumbency, lateral recumbency
How to do a pretzel hold
Hold hind foot and scruff in the same hand
What is the pretzel hold used for?
People who need to restrain a cat for themselves to give an injection
Why should the pretzel hold be done only when necessary?
Cats may become upset and harder to restrain when done
