Specific Handling and Restraint Skills and Techniques

The following are a list of skills and techniques, each of which a student must either demonstrate or observe to the satisfaction of the supervising instructional technician. The goal is for the student to become "comfortably competent" at performing the procedure as judged by the veterinary instructional technician. For some students, obtaining this goal for each skill may require signing up for additional small group sessions. Veterinary instructional technicians selected these skills on the basis of their knowledge of what students need and their experience with students in subsequent courses and clinic blocks. 

Equine

Perform:

• Safely position & approach horse in stall
• Safely catch horse in stall
• Correctly halter and attach lead rope
• Safely lead horse in / out of stall & position for release
• Safely lead horse outside or in hallway
• Back horse; move hindquarters right and left
• Safely walk horse into stocks and out of stocks
• Safely restrain for hoof picking, grooming and TPR
• Perform hoof picking, grooming and TPR
• Perform visual appraisal and describe

Describe or Identify:

• Points of the horse
• Common breeds and uses
• Common colors
• Sexes
• Use of stud chain
• Other distraction techniques
• Blood draw sites

Observe:

• Application of twitch
• Restraint of foal (if possible)
• Restraint of horse in the stocks
• Administration of oral, IM, and IV medications
• Weighing horse

Small Animal

Perform:

• Safely approach and "introduce" yourself
• Lift the patient to an examination table
• Safely restrain in:
  • dog sitting on floor for jugular venipuncture
  • sternal recumbency for:
    • exam
    • jugular venipuncture
    • cephalic venipuncture
  • lateral recumbency for:
    • exam
    • saphenous venipuncture
    • jugular venipuncture
  • dorsal recumbency for jugular venipuncture (cat)
  • dorsal recumbency for cystocentesis
• Safely place into & remove from a cage
• Use a towel to get a "fractious" cat out of a cage
• Carry a cat around the room
• Place a gauze muzzle on a dog
• Place any other style muzzle on a dog
• Place a nylon muzzle on a cat
• Place a cat in a restraint bag
• Visual appraisal and describe
• Physical exam & record results on form

Bovine - WSU Feeding Lab

 Tie and explain appropriate uses and applications of:

• Square Knot
• Bowline Knot
• Clove Hitch Knot
• Sheetbend (tail tie) Knot
• Tom Fool’s (Handcuff) Knot
• Quick Release Halter Knot

Discuss:

• Identify 3 breeds of cattle
• Identify which are dairy and/or meat breeds

Perform:

• Safe operation of squeeze chute
• Safely halter and restrain animal for physical
• Assess & record:
  • TPR, compare to normal values
  • mucous membrane color & refill, compare
  • rumen contractions, compare
• Apply nose lead (fingers and tongs)
• Inspect tongue and mouth
• Use balling gun and speculum
• Make and install rope cow hobbles
• Make and install rope cow tail tie
• Apply "Tail Jack"
• Lift and inspect feet (front and rear)

May Observe (not required):

• Hoof trim
• Injections:
  • Intramuscular (IM)
  • Intravenous (IV)
  • Subcutaneous (SQ)
• Flanking calf (if available)

 NVTH Exotic Animal Section (elective)

Perform:

• Approach and handle an Avian on a finger perch
• Capture and handle an Avian for exam/oral medications
• Place an Avian on table for fluid administration
• Approach and handle a Raptor
• Capture and handle a Raptor for exam/oral medication
• Place a Raptor on table for fluid administration
• Hand perch for weathering (Resident birds only)
• Proper handling of an Iguana

Describe Proper:

• Husbandry and diet of an Iguana
• Restraint of exotic mammals
• Calculations of medications
• Record keeping in Exotics Ward