Handling And Restraint Flashcards
Three categories of animal restraint
Manual, mechanical, chemical
Fear-free restraint
Focuses on learning the signs of fear, anxiety, and stress in animals. Uses positive reinforcement to help increase good behavior and better communication.
Anxious behaviors related to restraint and handling in dogs
- increase attention
- tensing of muscles
- increased whining or barking
- pacing
- repetitive behaviors
- panting or trembling that can’t be associated with temp
- anal gland release
- urination or defecation in waiting room or exam room
Martingale collars
Safest, most effective, most humane for all sizes and breeds of dogs. Flat collar with a loop that tightens when pulled.
Training collar
Made of stainless-steel links with a ring at each end. Thicker links used for muscular dogs and thinner links used for smaller breeds. May catch on cage bars and seriously injure or kill a dog.
Nylon collar
Nylon or leather flat collars are appropriate for daily home use but unreliable for restraint. Some have a quick release to avoid chocking the pet when caught.
Promise collar
AKA gentle leader. Nylon head halter that fits around nose and behind ears. Gives control of side of dogs head to turn it when it pulls.
Head snare
Ketch pole, capture pole, restraint pole, rabies pole. Chemical restraint should be used as an alternative if possible.
Lifting a dog with a back injury
- Place muzzle
- Place one arm around head and neck
- Slide other arm between rear legs and under thorax
Signs that a cat feels stressed or threatened
- finds a small dark place to hide
- vocalizes with growls, hisses, and moans
- pulls back its ears against its head
- twitches its tail slowly
Capturing a small bird
- Remove perches and toys from cage
- Grasp by placing palm against its wings and securing its head between the thumb and index finger
- Cradle bird in your palm and place your pointer finger gently across the bird’s legs
CAREFUL not to cover or press down on the bird’s breastbone
NOT TO BE USED ON BIRDS TRAINED TO HOP ON A FINGER
Capturing a large bird
- Remove excess perches and toys
- Place towel lengthwise across the palm of your hand
- Reach into cage and grasp bird from behind the bird’s head. For larger birds the other hand can be placed on it’s feet with a slight stretch
- Drape towel around the bird as you lift it toward the door of the cage. A larger bird’s wings can be folded and pulled close to your body
- After bringing the bird through the cage door, place the other hand on the birds feet and hold firmly in place
CAREFUL not to put pressure on the breastbone
NOT TO BE USED ON BIRDS TRAINED TO HOP ON A FINGER
Restraining birds trained to hop on a finger
- Reach into the cage and allow the bird to hop on your finger
- Place the other hand on the birds feet and hold them firmly in place
- Once the bird is out of the cage gently drape a towel around its back
CAREFUL not to put pressure on the breastbone
Acrylic rodent restrainer
Clear plastic tube with access ports on the sides and a plastic gate that keeps the animal from backing up once it has entered. Typically used for rat and mouse venipuncture
Rubber-tipped forceps
Can be used to transport small rodents from one cage to another by grasping either the base of the animal’s tail or the loose skin on the back of its neck.
CAREFUL, dangling the animal for more than a few seconds can injure its back
Mouse restraint
- Grasp the base of the tail as close to the body as possible
- Lift straight up and place on grid-type surface keeping a hold of the tail
- Gently stretch mouse by pulling back on its tail with one hand while grasping the loose skin on the back of its neck with the other
- Cup in the palm of your hand and loosely drape fingers around the animals body, holding the feet and tail between your last two fingers
Rat capture and restraint
Rats can be removed from cage by grasping the base of the tail for a short period of time. To restrain:
1. Grasp by placing thumb and index finger around its lower jaw
2. With the other hand, support the rat’s hindquarters while holding its feet and tail still
Hamster capture and restraint
- Make sure hamster is awake
- Grasp as much of the loose skin on the back of the neck as possible
- Lift out of cage and cup in your palm, same as a mouse
Guinea pig capture and restraint
- Reach into cage and place hand in front of animal to keep it from running around
- Slide other hand under it’s chest
- Pick up and immediately place other hand under hindquarters
CAREFUL placing hand down on back or shoulders too firmly may injure it’s lungs
Chinchilla capture and restraint
- Reach into cage and place hand under the animal’s chest
- Pick up and immediately place other hand over the animal’s shoulders to prevent it from escaping
CAUTION fur slip may occur if handled too roughly
Fur slip
A chinchilla’s tendency to shed patches of fur if grasped too roughly
Gerbil handling and restraint
Grasp only at base of tail, close to the body
For some technical procedures, simply scoop up and cup in your hand
CAUTION gerbils are good jumpers and may try vigorously to escape
Ferret handling and restraint
- Place one hand under the animal’s chest, behind its forelegs
- Pick up and use other hand to support the hindquarters
Some procedures require scuffing just behind the ears, making sure the ferret’s feet don’t touch the table or it may turn around and bite. Towels may be used
CAUTION a distressed ferret can inflict severe bites and may have to be put under running water to release it’s grip
Particularly aggressive ferrets can be held with its head between the thumb and forefinger
Rabbit handling and restraint
- Reach into cage and grasp small amount of skin behind the ears
- With the animal facing away, slide the other hand under its rear legs
- Lift the animal toward you and press it against your body
For most technical procedures, place the rabbit on the examination table and place your arms or hands on either side of it. They prefer a rough surface such as a towel.
For IM injections press gently against table. Venipuncture may require chemical restraint or acrylic restraining device
Snake manual restraint
Grasp behind the head with one arm and support the body on your arm. Additional restranier needed for every additional 3 ft of snake
Snake mechanical restraint
- a plexiglass tube half the length of the snake that is only open on one side. After the snake enters hold the snake and open end of the tube in place
- snake hooks can be used to hold a snake’s head against a solid surface
- to weigh a snake, place it in a large pillowcase
Turtle handling and restraint
- Grasp by shell, rear third if snapping turtle
- To keep still, place on ledge taller than legs and shorter than shell
- use tongs, if necessary, to pull legs or heads back out
Lizard handling and restraint
Use one hand to grasp them around the shoulders and the other to restrain and support hindquarters
A towel can be placed over the eyes to calm the animal
A difficult to restrain lizard may calm down by placing it against a wall
Approaching a horse
- Always approach at shoulder or near neck, never from behind
- speak softly to put at ease or awaken
- don’t make sudden noises or movements
- pat on neck or shoulder and continue to speak softly
Foal
Horse under one year old
Horse restraint for procedures
Procedures usually done while vet tech holds the lead rope and with the veterinarian standing on the same side
If a horse must be tied it should be done in a way that can be quickly released at a height that prevents it from tangling its legs and must never be left unattended
Cross tying can be done with cross-tie rings or securely placed poles
Applying halter and leading horse
- approach at left shoulder
- place lead rope over neck
- place nose loop of halter and clasp it behind the ears, avoiding touching the ears themselves
- attach lead rope to halter under chin
- keep lead rope in your right hand about 18 inches from the horses head
- keep remainder of lead in loose loops in your left hand
- walk on the horses left keeping your body between the head and left shoulder
Cradle
Bars tied together like a non-rigid fence, placed around horses neck to keep it from biting or licking itself
Lip twitch and one-person twitch
Wooden handle with a loop of rope or stainless steel chain
Humane (one-person) twitch can be used when restrainer unavailable to hold a regular twitch
Distracts horse from procedure by stimulating the horses nerves causing a small amount of pain and possibly releasing endorphins
DO NOT APPLY FOR MORE THAN 20 MINUTES
Manual twitch
Grasp skin on the neck cranial to the shoulder, twist and hold firmly
Hobble
Leather strap that fastens around a horse’s legs, can also be improvised out of heavy rope
Stock
Narrow enclosure with a front and rear gate that partially immobilizes a horse for treatment. Lead the horse into the stock with both gates open and close them once the horse is inside. Do not enter a stock with the horse.
Can help lead a nervous horse into a trailer
Blindfold
Tail tie
Used to examine rectum or vagina
1. Lay the rope across the end of the last vertebra leaving about 18 inches of rope on one side and the rest on the other side. Fold the rest of the tail up and over the rope
2. Make a long, sharp loop with the short end of the rope and lay over the folded tail. Pass the loop through the rope that was placed under the tail
3. Pull the longer end of the rope to tighten it
4. Use the long end of the rope to tie the tail to the front leg or neck
CAUTION always tie the tail to the animal and never to a fixed object
Mouth gag
Wedge-shaped structure that prevents a horse from biting down while mouth is being examined
Chain shank
Leather lead rope with a two-foot length of chain and a snap hook at one end. Can be passed though one check ring to the opposite check ring either across the bridge of the nose or under the lip across the gums. Distracts the horse from a procedure by keeping its attention on its nose
Raising a horses hoof
Approach from the left, facing the horses rear. Lean into shoulder and run hand down the leg, squeezing below the knee to encourage the horse to lift its foot.
For the rear leg approach the same way but run hand down horses back to rear and use other hand to run down the back leg.
Can be used for horse transport
Shipping boots or stall leg wraps minimize likelihood of injury during transport
Can be restrained with cross tie
Stanchion
An opening at the end of a cattle chute that holds the cow’s head in place
Nose lead
Large metal tongs with large ball-shaped ends to control the head when a halter isn’t sufficient. Can be used to cross-tie.
Bull staff
Long-handled metal rod with a large hook at one end that clips to the nose ring
Milking hobbles
Metal bands connected by a length of chain
Tail jacking
Distracts the animal from procedures performed elsewhere on its body. Lift the tail gently but firmly, taking care to keep the tail in line with the spine and not deflected out to either side.
Casting rope
Used to place an animal on its side. Place rope across back of neck, pass in between forelimbs and cross under sternum. Cross the rope again on the animals back and then pass between the rear legs.
Picking up a small calf
If under 40 lbs or less I place one in front of the animals chest and the other behind the hindquarters to lift.
For larger calves use rope halter or herd into examination area
Transport of cows and cattle
Cattle can travel on large trucks if fully loaded, to prevent them from moving around.
Cows are transported on small trailers similar to horse trailers
Sheperd’s crook
Can be used to immobilize a sheep by placing high up on the back leg and then quickly holding the animal to prevent it from struggling and injuring its leg
Sheep restraint
Most procedures can be done with the sheep on its rump
1. Place one arm around neck at the shoulder
2. With the other arm, reach over the animal under the abdomen as far as possible
3. Stand directly behind the sheep resting its back against your legs
4. Gently lift the sheep and tilt it back onto its rump tilting it slightly back to keep it off balance
Restraining lambs for docking or castrating
While sitting down, grasp the lamb’s right legs with the right hand and the left legs with the left hand. Place the lamb on its back supporting it with your legs.
OR
Stand and support the lambs back against your body while holding the legs as described in the first method
Goat restraint
Place lead on collar
Hold laterally as a dog for procedures requiring firmer restraint
For venipuncture hold muzzle and neck as you would a dog for a jug stick
Hurdles
Flat shield-like pieces of plastic or plywood about three feet square
Pig catcher
Large, long-handled clamp with a rope that holds the ends of the clamp shut
Can be applied to a pig’s rear leg
Hog snares
Look and function like dog snares. Used to capture large pigs.
Pig restraint, general
Small pigs can be restrained on a v trough. Once on the trough tie a rope to one of the front legs, pass under the trough and then tie to the other leg.
Pigs can also be restrained with a snubbing rope:
1. Make a slip knot and place one end of the rope in front of the snout
2. Wait for the pig to open its mouth. Once open, slip into the pigs mouth and push up the loop quickly so that it rests just behind the tusks
3. Tighten the loop across the top of the snout and hold it or tie to a stationary object
Piglet capture
- Use one hand to grab the piglet by one or both of its rear legs.
- Place you other arm under the piglet’s chest and lift straight up.
- Once lifted, release the rear legs and place your hand under its abdomen.
Pig restraint for technical procedures
Grasp pig by rear legs and lift body leaving the pigs front feet touching the ground. Place the head between your knees and the back centered between your legs.
OR
For oral medication administration lift the pig by its front feet and hold it up with its rear legs remaining on the ground
Pig transport
Transported in groups but can be easily overheated and need maximum air circulation. Truck beds and trailers made of steel slats are common.
Male pigs and females with litters should be transported in individual crates
Catching fowl
Grab the chickens legs quickly and pull up so that head is facing the ground.
Turkeys and especially excited birds should be grasped first with a catching hook or net first. After catching a turkey, wrap your arm around its body and pull close to your side, under your arm, with its head towards your back. For other birds, pick up by the legs after catching.
Restraining fowl for examination
Hold the against a solid surface. Hold the bird’s head loosely in one hand and restrain its feet with the other.
Transporting fowl
Must be placed in small crates
