HANDLING AND RESTRAINT OF CATS AND CLINICAL VETERINARY SURGERY VIDEO ON FELINE HIND LIMB AMPUTATION

I am thankful to all readers of my blog for  much encouraging response . I am getting mails especially from Veterinary  students, post graduate students of Veterinary Surgery  and field vets of the country and few across the globe. There was a request to post something on feline restraint and feline surgery and this is my humble attempt to share some thing on feline surgery with special reference to handling and restraint of cats .

I am dedicating this segment to all Cat lovers and budding feline vets.

In veterinary practice Cats always fascinated me by their unique nature of Fexibility, Agility  and Unpredictability . Cats are very sensitive and highly freedom loving animals which makes them hyper excited when attempted to restraint.. Handling cats always take much of our energy because of their extreme flexibility . Many times I get cases in which helpless situation arises like owner himself/ herself bring an excited animal and confirming the fact that no one can handle their pets. DILATED PUPILS, PROTRACTED CLAWS AND VOCALIZATION are the indications of a stressed self defensive cat.
Like any other animal, behavioral restraint is the best form of restraint. But in case of an injured animal presented with much stress, careful physical restraint becomes inevitable.

I had learned from my practice that much patience , firmness and tactics are needed for effective handling . Also NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE  FELINE FLEXIBILITY.

1.       Principles of blind folding. Vision is the first alarming stimulation for a hyper excited cats . It has been scientifically proved that blind folding in the presence of owner can reduce the stress level in cats .

2.       Cuff holding . The best way to restraint a cat is tight and firm holding of the cuff. This should never be shared by two people as the cats escape and attack effectively  by multiple handling .

       FIRM  CUFF HOLDING AND PRESSING THE BACK BY GENTLE SPINAL RESTRAINT : This is gentle pressing of the vertebral column all along with your fore arm with well restrained cuff of cat in our fist.
This will ensure a firm grip and the animal can be restrained for injections. With this procedure a Surgeon can himself or herself give the injections with out assistance.

Like in all species iintramuscular injections should be always perpendicular with needle insterted to the mid belly of muscles. I prefer inseting only 1/3^rd of the hypodermic needle for a painless injection.

Post handling stress. Majority of the injury to the handlers happen after the handling as the animal will be much tensed and tries for self defense. 

Always safely place back in cage after the injection and let loose the animal for natural recovery. Remember cats needs much freedom . Don’t over handle a cat as it reduces its immunity.A good dose of neglect had found to be excellent in recovery of the feline patients . Domestic Cats are also prone for capture myopathy like their wild counter part and hypothermia is a common findings after surgical manipulations.

YOU CAN WATCH A VIDEO ON HANDLING AND RESTRAINT OF CATS 

CHEMICAL RESTRAINT

An injured cat with complete compound metacarpal fracture was presented . A proximal meta tarsal amputation was done on the cat on contrary to a mid  femoral amputation as the situation demanded a less invasive surgery.

Various anesthetic combinations are availiable for restraints if cats. I personally recommend the combination of a dissociative anesthetic , a muscle relaxant and a morphine pain killer for a much rewarding anesthetic retraint. Ketamine @ 10 mg/kg bw + Diazepam @ 0.5 mg/kg bw and Butorphanol @ 0.2 mg/kg bw give surgical plane of anesthesia for nearly 45-55 minutes. This can be further enhanced by a top up of 1/3^rd dose after 40 minutes .

YOU CAN WATCH THIS VIDEO ON META-TARSAL AMPUTATION IN A CAT

Ketamine , Diazepam Butorphanol cocktail is excellent for short  medium surgical procedures in cats 

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