Page 145 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

Chapter 8 Restraint of Animals 129

FIGURE 8.13 Very angry cat. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Used
under CC‐BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gato_
enervado_pola_presencia_dun_can.jpg.

Restraint procedures need to be modified if patients
are contagious in any manner. All personnel should be
made aware of the possible contagion so that proper FIGURE 8.14 Feliway spray.
TM
clothing items can be adorned before coming into
contact with these animals. A lab coat over scrubs or cov- and by enrolling in the online courses you increase your
eralls and gloves are the usual PPE required. After the value as a veterinary assistant.
patient has been seen, proper disinfecting of the room is We have already mentioned how to greet a dog or cat
an absolute must. If the patient had fleas, an insecticide using fear free techniques, but it really starts before the
formulated to kill fleas should be used.
animal walks into the room. All traces of the animal
before it should be erased. This means wiping down all
Utilize Fear Free Techniques the surfaces in the exam room, including the chair, with
a disinfectant or deodorant spray and paper towels and
The fear free approach was initiated by Dr. Marty Becker sweeping the floor free of hair and other debris, then
with the mission to: “prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety using a pheromone spray to induce calm such as
and stress in pets, by inspiring and educating the people Feliway™ for cats or Adaptil™ for dogs (Figure 8.14).
who care for them” (https://fearfreepets.com). This Spritz the room after each visit and your clothing once
program brought together experts from across the field or twice a day. If using a towel for the exam table, which
of veterinary medicine, animal trainers, shelter per- is recommended, spritz that with the spray as well.
sonnel, animal boarding and daycare owners, groomers, Dogs are greeted while they are still on the floor. The
and pet owners to develop programs for fear free assistant kneels into a considerate position and offers a
veterinary clinics, fear free homes, and fear free trainers “low end” treat. These are usually hard biscuits broken
and other pet professionals. The programs award a into a few pieces. While being offered with one hand the
certification after completion. other is reaching under the neck to offer up a little
The goal is to provide care to animals that may be sick gentle scratch. If accepted, the dog can be lifted to the
or injured without causing undo stress from being han- table with another treat offered as soon as its feet touch
dled aggressively, which in many cases induces fear, the table. If the hard biscuit isn’t accepted, then a soft
stress, and anxiety, not only in the pets but the owners as chewy treat is offered and if that is not accepted then
well. This movement is catching on across the country perhaps Kong™ filling or cheese spray on an applicator