Page 158 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

142 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

FIGURE 8.52 Cat being zipped into bag. Source: Sheldon, Sonstha-
gen, and Topel, 2017. Reproduced with permission of Elsevier.

(a) (b)

FIGURE 8.50 Elizabethan collar (a); and no‐bite neck brace (b).

FIGURE 8.53 Cat with back leg exposed. Source: Sheldon, Sonstha-
gen, and Topel, 2017. Reproduced with permission of Elsevier.

Cat bags or feline restraint bags are also used when a
cat is squirrelly or a bit naughty. The bag is opened wide
and the cat is set down on top of the bag (Figure 8.51).
FIGURE 8.51 Cat set down on top of cat bag. Source: Sheldon, Sonst- The neck strap is placed around the neck and the zipper
hagen, and Topel, 2017. Reproduced with permission of Elsevier.
is pulled to enclose them in the bag (Figure 8.52). Front
and back legs are accessible through the zippered open-
to make it snug around the neck, just so it can’t be pulled ings (Figure 8.53). Never leave a cat unattended in a cat
off, you should be able to slip two fingers between the bag on a table. They can still roll and if they roll off the
collar and neck. Because the collar is longer than the table they can get hurt.
nose, the food and water dishes must be elevated so they Gauntlets are heavy leather gloves used when dealing
can still drink. with an animal that wants to bite or scratch (Figure 8.54).
Another type of anti‐mutilation device is the No‐Bite They don’t protect you from bites as teeth can go through
Neck Brace (B in Figure 8.50). This is a hard‐plastic the leather, but it does tend to slow them down so you
brace that encircles the neck and is attached to the can get your fingers out of the way. Gauntlets reduce
animal with a strap that encircles the chest. It is a little bit your tactile sensation, so it is important to modify your
less restrictive than the Elizabethan collar. However, grip when using them on an animal. One of the best uses
some patients are contortionists and will get at their of them is as a distraction technique, put your fingers
wounds when this collar is used. only in half way and while the animal is biting on the