Angry Cat at the Vet | Fractious Cat Restraint

Summary

In this veterinary video, Megan and her team tackle the challenge of examining an aggressive cat named Max, who has a history of being difficult at other hospitals. They use a cat muzzle for safety and a blanket for restraint, ensuring efficient procedures. After a thorough check-up, including blood work and an oral exam under sedation, Max is successfully treated without incident, showcasing the team's expertise in handling tough cases.

Takeaways

• 😾 Max is an angry cat with a history of being aggressive at veterinary hospitals.
• 🏥 Megan is preparing to examine Max, who has been vomiting and losing weight, and will need to draw blood.
• 🐾 Megan emphasizes the importance of using a cat muzzle for restraint, highlighting its ability to allow the cat to breathe freely.
• 🛠️ The team is equipped with all necessary tools and a plan to work efficiently and safely with Max.
• 📦 Megan prefers to modify the carrier to control the extraction of Max, avoiding potential escapes.
• 👐 Megan explains the technique of pinning Max's head without scruffing to prevent trachea compression.
• 🤝 Teamwork is crucial for handling an angry cat, with clear communication to avoid injury and ensure a smooth process.
• 🩺 A quick physical exam and urine sample are collected, with attention to Max's ability to escape from the muzzle.
• 💉 Megan opts for a butterfly catheter for drawing blood to minimize the risk of injury to Max during potential struggles.
• 💊 Max is sedated for a thorough oral exam due to concerns about dental disease, requiring careful handling post-sedation.
• 🛌 Max is moved back to his carrier for recovery, minimizing the need for additional handling and reducing stress.

Q & A

Who is the main character in the script and what is her role?

The main character is Megan, who appears to be a veterinary professional dealing with an angry cat named Max.

What is the primary issue with Max the cat?

Max has been vomiting and losing weight, which is why he is at the veterinary hospital for examination and blood tests.

Why has Max been fired from other veterinary hospitals?

Max has been fired from other veterinary hospitals due to his history of being angry and potentially aggressive.

What special equipment does Megan use for restraining Max?

Megan uses a hard plastic cat muzzle that allows Max to breathe, scream, and hiss unobstructed, which she considers the best invention for cat restraint.

Why is a big, thick blanket used in handling Max?

A big, thick blanket is used to help restrain Max effectively, as a regular towel would not be sufficient for a cat of his temperament.

What is the importance of having a plan and good communication when handling an angry animal like Max?

Having a plan and good communication ensures that the examination and procedures are carried out efficiently, minimizing stress and potential injury to both the animal and the handlers.

How does Megan intend to get Max out of his carrier without causing him to bolt?

Megan plans to take apart the carrier to create a controlled environment for extracting Max, avoiding the risk of him escaping or running into other animals.

Why does Megan avoid using the scruff method on an angry cat like Max?

The scruff method can restrict breathing when used on an angry cat that struggles more as pressure on the trachea increases, so Megan chooses to pin Max's head down instead.

What is the purpose of keeping the environment dark for Max during the examination?

Keeping the environment dark can help calm Max down as he won't be able to see the handlers moving around and anticipate their movements.

Why is it important to weigh Max before proceeding with further medical procedures?

Weighing Max provides essential information for dosage calculations if sedation or medication is required during his treatment.

What safety measures are taken when drawing blood from Max?

Megan uses a butterfly catheter to minimize the risk of lacerating Max's vein if he struggles during the blood draw.

How does the team handle Max after the blood draw and before the oral exam?

The team moves Max into a kennel with the blankets still on him, ensuring he is secure and comfortable until he is ready for the oral exam.

What sedative is used for Max's oral exam and why?

Dexdomitor is used for Max's oral exam because it provides heavy sedation, allowing for a thorough examination without causing undue stress or injury to Max.

How is Max's recovery from sedation managed after the oral exam?

Max is allowed to recover in his own carrier without being disturbed, ensuring a safe and stress-free environment for him to regain consciousness.

Outlines

00:00

😾 Dealing with an Angry Cat: Max's Examination

Megan introduces the video with a focus on handling an aggressive cat named Max, who has been vomiting and losing weight. Max has a history of being difficult with other veterinary hospitals. The plan is to examine him and draw blood, requiring significant restraint due to his temperament. Megan prepares by getting a cat muzzle, which allows the cat to breathe freely, and a thick blanket for additional restraint. She emphasizes the importance of efficiency and communication during the procedure to minimize stress and potential injury to both the cat and the staff.

05:01

💉 Managing Max's Medical Procedure and Sedation

The second paragraph details the process of weighing Max and conducting a physical examination, including collecting a urine sample. Megan discusses the importance of being prepared for potential sedation if needed. Throughout the procedure, she and Sarah work together to restrain Max, using a butterfly catheter for blood drawing to minimize injury. After the examination, Max is moved to a kennel with care to avoid triggering him. Later, due to concerns about dental disease, Max is sedated with dexdomitor for an oral exam. Megan explains the strategy for safely moving an angry cat and the importance of quick, decisive actions. The sedation is reversed, and Max recovers in his carrier, concluding the successful treatment without injury to the staff or further distress to the cat.

Keywords

💡Angry Cat

An 'angry cat' in this context refers to a cat that is aggressive or uncooperative, likely due to stress or discomfort. The theme of the video revolves around handling such a cat, named Max, who has been vomiting and losing weight, requiring a veterinary examination. The term is used to set the scene for the challenges faced by the veterinary staff in treating Max.

💡Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth, which is a symptom indicating a health issue. In the video, Max's vomiting is one of the reasons for his visit to the veterinary hospital, highlighting the severity of his condition that necessitates medical attention.

💡Weight Loss

Weight loss refers to a decrease in body weight, often a sign of underlying health problems. The script mentions Max's weight loss, which, along with vomiting, is a cause for concern and part of the symptoms that prompt the veterinary examination.

💡Veterinary Hospitals

Veterinary hospitals are medical facilities that provide medical and surgical care for animals. The script mentions that Max has been 'fired' from other veterinary hospitals, indicating his challenging behavior and the difficulty of treating him in a standard setting.

💡Cat Muzzle

A cat muzzle is a device used to prevent a cat from biting during medical procedures. The video describes a specific type of cat muzzle made of hard plastic that allows the cat to breathe freely, which is crucial for the safety and comfort of the cat during the examination and treatment.

💡Restraint

Restraint in this context refers to the measures taken to control and limit the movement of an animal to ensure safety during medical procedures. The script discusses the use of a cat muzzle and a thick blanket as methods of restraint for Max, emphasizing the need for careful handling of an angry cat.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in the script refers to the need for quick and organized actions to minimize stress on the animal and to complete the medical procedures in a timely manner. The video emphasizes the importance of having all supplies ready and a clear plan to handle Max efficiently.

💡Physical Exam

A physical exam is a routine procedure where a veterinarian checks an animal's overall health by examining its body. The script mentions a quick physical exam for Max, which is a standard part of the veterinary visit to assess his health condition.

💡Urine Sample

A urine sample is a collection of urine used for diagnostic tests. The script notes that Max provided a urine sample, which is an important diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine to check for various health issues.

💡Sedation

Sedation refers to the use of drugs to induce a state of calmness or drowsiness in an animal to facilitate medical procedures. The video discusses the possibility of moving to sedation if needed and eventually administering dexdomitor to Max for an oral exam.

💡Dexdomitor

Dexdomitor is a sedative drug used in veterinary medicine, specifically mentioned in the script for its use in sedating Max for an oral examination. It is an example of a medication that can be used to calm an angry or anxious animal during a medical procedure.

💡Oral Exam

An oral exam is a procedure where a veterinarian checks an animal's mouth, including teeth and gums, for signs of disease or other issues. The script discusses the need for a good oral exam for Max due to concerns about dental disease, which can only be conducted effectively under sedation.

Highlights

Introduction of Megan and the task of handling an angry cat named Max.

Max's history of being fired from other veterinary hospitals due to his anger.

Preparation for heavy restraint due to Max's known aggression.

Use of a cat muzzle as an effective restraint tool for angry cats.

The importance of the cat's ability to breathe while muzzled.

Efficiency in handling Max with two people working on him.

Preparation of all necessary tools and equipment before handling Max.

Communication with the doctor to streamline the examination process.

Disassembly of the carrier for controlled extraction of Max.

Avoidance of using the scruff method due to breathing issues with angry cats.

Technique of pinning the cat's head without scruffing.

Max's reaction to being handled and the use of darkness to calm him.

Weighing Max to determine the correct dosage for potential sedation.

Protecting the doctor from potential harm during the examination.

Use of a butterfly catheter for safe blood drawing.

Moving Max to a kennel with caution and maintaining control.

The decision to sedate Max for a thorough oral examination.

Quick and decisive action when removing Max from the kennel for sedation.

Max's recovery after sedation and the successful completion of the treatment.

Transcripts

Hi, I'm Megan. Today we're going to deal

with an angry cat. This is Max, and he's

been vomiting and losing weight, and so

he's here today so we can examine him,

and draw some blood. He has been fired

from other veterinary hospitals, and so

we know that he has a history of being

angry. He's in here kind of growling at

us and preparing for the worst. So, we are

getting set up. Since I know he's angry,

we're just going to assume that we're

going to need some some pretty heavy

restraint on him. So I've got a cat

muzzle out. In my opinion, this is the

best invention for cat restraint ever.

It's a really hard plastic, kind of

patent-y and it goes over there, you know,

his face is going to go in here and we

tighten it down behind his ears but he

can still open his mouth, he can scream,

he can hiss, he can breathe unobstructed,

which i think is a problem with other

cat muzzles. When they can't open their

mouths, they feel like they can't breathe.

That becomes a real problem. So goal

number one is going to be and try and get

this on his face. I also have a big

blanket. This is not a cat that a towel

is going to help with, so we've got a big

thick blanket. Sarah is going to help me,

so there's going to be two of us working

on him, and the goal is just going to be

to be as efficient as possible. I have

everything ready. I have a thermometer, I

have a scale, everything I'm going to

need to draw blood work. We don't want to

anger him and then have to shuffle

around and find our supplies. Also kind

of on board with the doctor so she knows

exactly the order that we're going to do

things. She's got a plan in her head, we

don't want to get this angry cat, out do

a bunch of stuff, put him back, and then

have the doctor come back five minutes

later, oh by the way, do you mind doing

this? So just make sure there's a lot of

communication when you have an angry

animal so that you can get everything

done, get him put away, and on his way. This is a carrier that opens from the top, but

I am going to just take the carrier

apart. This is kind of a small hole for

us to get our hands in and drag him

out of, so I'd rather just you know we'll

kind of pop all these, and then when

we're ready we'll take the top off, get

the blanket on him, and pull him out. I'm

not a big fan of dumping cats out the

front, just in case he bolts and we lose

him- that's not a good situation.

You don't ever want to have to pull

a cat out from under cupboards, or you

know under a shelf, or under a cage or

anything like that. Certainly excaping

out the front door, running into some

dogs. All bad news. So we want to be as

controlled as possible. I don't know, now something's

up buddy, okay. All right, he wants to go hide

in there. Okay,

so I am just gonna pay attention to

where his head is. So I've got my hand

just kind of around his neck, to control

his head. This cat, it's never going to do

us any good to scruff him. I think a

scruff is a really good tool when you

need to kind of immobilize a cat if he's

struggling a little bit when you're

trying to get blood. But when a cat is

really angry and you scruff them, and you

pull tighter and tighter and they

struggle more and more, they actually

can't breathe anymore. It puts enough

pressure on their trachea. So when I have

a really angry cat I don't scruff at all.

I'm just going to kind of pin his head

down. So I know his head is right here.

Just pin his neck down so that he can

turn and bite through the blanket if he

wants to, but, just control that head. We'll

kind of get his feet under the blanket

as we need to and then just go from

there. So a lot of angry cat restraint is

just holding them down to the table,

which Sarah is going to do. So now I'm

going to turn him so his head is facing

towards me and we're going to get the

muzzle on. There we go. Okay,

So just kind of feed his head in there,

make sure the straps get behind his ears,

and then cinch it down.

It's not impossible for him to get this

muzzle off, if he gets his back legs up

there, he can certainly flip it off over

his head. But now I know that his teeth

are covered, and he still has a lot of

room to breathe in there. He's still

growling. Oftentimes just getting things

dark, it's going to help him. He's not

going to, you know, be able to see us

moving around and, you know, anticipate

movements toward him. So we'll just kind

of leave him in the dark, and next we'll

get a weight. Max, he's just kind of gone limp

here, which is in our favor. Okay, no

bolting. All right, 14 pounds. Okay. All

right, now that he has a correct weight,

if we do get in trouble and we need to

move to sedation, we've got that

important piece of information and we

can just move right to it. So Sarah's got

his front half, I just have some hands on

his back feet. These cats can do some

really good damage with back claws when

they start bunny kicking, so it's my job

to protect the doctor, and so far so good.

All right, so we got a quick physical

exam done. He gave us a good urine

sample, so that's always helpful. He has

been able to get out of his muzzle. This

is, you know, we all need to be talking

to each other. If I see that happen, I

need to make sure Sarah knows his teeth

are out so she's going to be careful

with that. If he's struggling and I'm

close to losing his back legs, if Sarah's

restraining him for something and she's

about to lose control of him, just let

everybody know. You've got to yell it and

say I'm losing it, so whoever is close to

his face can step back if he does escape

and get off the table,

that's better than, you know, having one

of us get bit by a cat. You know, we can

find him, retrieve him, and get him back.

But nobody wants to go to the hospital.

So I'm going to draw blood from this cat.

I don't anticipate him behaving very

well so I'm going to use a butterfly

catheter. This

is a 23 gauge butterfly catheter. The

reason that I like these is that it

gives him the opportunity to struggle a

little bit, and I'm not gonna lacerate

his vein. You know if I've got this

syringe on it and he moves around it's

pretty easy to cause some trauma there.

Okay, so we're gonna move him into a

kennel now, and that's where he'll hang

out until his owner is ready to come get

him. So we're not going to take any of

the blankets or anything off of him,

we're just going to pick up the whole

mass, and just move him into his kennel.

So Sara's still got a good hold on his

head, so I'm just going to kind of help

with the back end here and we'll use an

entire queen's bed worth of laundry to

get him picked up. All of that bedding in

there will be helpful and it's time to

pull him back out again. We'll use all

the same big blankets and then get him

out of here.

So we're back with Max, and after further

discussion with the owner, we do want to

do a good oral exam on him. There's some

concern for dental disease, and he

obviously is not going to let us get a

good look without some heavy sedation. So

we're going to give him some dexdomitor,

and in order to do that we're going to need to get him out of the cage. So he

is already aware that I'm going to do

something that he doesn't like. The key

to getting angry cats out of a kennel is

to just do it very quickly and be very

decisive about it. The more I flinch and

kind of move around he's going to learn

very quickly what's going on and he's

going to be able to get around it, and

perhaps escape or cause injury. So I have

another nice thick blanket I'm just

going to go in, cover him with this

blanket, again find where his head is

going to kind of put my hands on either

side of his neck and then just scoop him

up and go from there.

Okay and now we're just gonna kind

of wait, until he calms down enough. So

we've done our oral exam, and we reversed

his dexdomitor, and he's now picking

his head up and moving around on his own.

So I'm going to let him recover the rest

of the time in his own carrier so that

we don't have to get him out of a cage

again. Oh buddy, okay, all right so he's

looking good, he's definitely aware of

his surroundings. Lock him in here, and

now he is ready to go. We have

successfully treated him and none of us

got injured and he is no worse for the

wear.