Animal Restraint 101: Why Safety Is the First Skill You Learn in Veterinary Training
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Reviewed by Beckie Mossor, BIS, MPA, RVT and the Academic Director of Penn Foster’s Veterinary Academy.
Key takeaways
- Animal restraint is an essential veterinary skill that protects animals, veterinary staff, pet owners, and others nearby while allowing exams and treatments to be performed safely.
- Safe, humane restraint should be tailored to each animal’s species, size, temperament, and needs, using the least amount of force necessary to reduce fear and stress.
- Veterinary professionals often need hands-on training, strong communication skills, and compassion to safely handle nervous, fearful, or aggressive animals effectively and provide quality care.
It sounds intense, but animal restraint is a necessary part of veterinary work. It helps ensure safety for the animal, the workers, the pet owner, and anyone in the vicinity. Learn what animal restraint actually is, why it’s important, and how it benefits the animal in this blog.
What is animal restraint?
Animal restraint is the safe, humane limitation of an animal’s movement so veterinary staff can examine, treat, or handle it without unnecessary stress or injury. It should be done with the least amount of force necessary, while still maintaining safety and control.
Beckie Mossor, BIS, MPA, RVT and the Academic Director of Penn Foster’s Veterinary Academy, says, “Restraint is a clinical skill, but compassionate restraint is a professional responsibility. The safest restraint is not always the strongest—it is the one that uses preparation, patience, and the least intervention necessary.” Knowing how to do this correctly is vital to good animal care.
Beckie goes on to say, “Every restraint decision should balance three priorities: completing the procedure, protecting everyone’s safety, and preserving the animal’s emotional well-being. Knowing when to pause, change techniques, or use chemical restraint is just as important as knowing how to physically restrain an animal. Restraint should never be measured by how completely we control an animal, but by how safely and compassionately we meet its needs.”
Why safe animal handling matters in veterinary medicine
Safe animal restraint can help the veterinary team safely perform tasks on the animal without injury. It can also help build trust and can be a good way to prevent equipment from causing injury or medication from being administered incorrectly due to unexpected movement.
Animal restraint may make pet owners nervous, but it’s done with the animal’s best interest at heart and should always be safe and humane, and veterinary workers should know what the appropriate amount of restraint is for an animal's species and size.
Read more: Is a Veterinary Career Right for You? 5 Questions to Ask Before Enrolling
What animal restraint looks like in a veterinary clinic
How an animal is restrained, including what level of restraint is required, can depend on the animal's species, size, weight, and level of comfort with handling the animals.
Holding a dog for an exam
Some dogs may be more aggressive than others, so the level of restraint may differ due to this and several other factors, but generally it should be the same basics. There are a few positions that can be used to restrain dogs, including:
- Standing restraint
- Sternal restraint
- Lateral restraint
Different positions are used for different procedures or tasks during exams, so it’s important to know all the different ways to safely restrain when you are working in the veterinary profession.
Assisting during vaccinations
It’s best to be calm when assisting with vaccinations and helping with restraint. Animals often feed off your energy, so this is important. Here are some things credentialed veterinary technicians or veterinary assistants can do to assist with restraint during injections:
- Keep the animal as still as possible for injections.
- Support the head and body while gently controlling movement.
- Use treats if able, a non-slip surface, or a towel to help reduce stress.
- Position the animal so the veterinarian or credentialed veterinary technician has clear access to the injection site.
- Use the minimal restraint necessary, paying special care that the animal can breathe and pant normally.
Read more: The Difference Between a Veterinary Technician & a Veterinary Technologist
Handling nervous or fearful pets
Some animals have no anxiety about jumping in the car to go to the vet, but others are nervous from the get go. Veterinary staff should know how to handle animals who are afraid or showing signs of anxiety. It can be helpful to observe an animals body language to see if they’ll need extra care or a higher level of restraint. You also may want to avoid sudden movements around nervous animals and speak quietly and soothingly. Your clinic or hospital likely will have equipment you can use for scared animals, like blankets, that can make it easier for both you and the animal when performing tasks. These are just some of the things you can do for nervous animals.
Working with cats safely
Cats can sometimes be more anxious about a vet visit than dogs. They often don’t enjoy being put in a carrier or being in the car, so by the time they arrive to the clinic, they’re experiencing stress. Cats also are often not shy about hissing, swatting, and biting anyone who comes near them that they don’t know, especially when they’re under stress.
When working with cats, it’s important to keep their bodies supported. Also try to only use the amount of restraint necessary. Your clinic may have bite and scratch prevention methods in place, so you’ll want to make sure you’re following any protocols. If a cat is particularly aggressive, chemical restraint, or sedation, should be considered to minimize risk to the patient and team. Also never be shy about asking for help if you need assistance with a particularly stressed cat.
How veterinary technician and technology students learn animal restraint techniques
Course material is important to gain the knowledge students need to do the job, but it’s not the only necessary step. Hands-on experience is helpful to learn the correct way to restrain an animal. Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician Program has two required externships where students will learn in person how to restrain animals correctly and safely, as well as other skills they’ll need to work in the field.
Read more: What to Know About the Vet Tech Externships
Skills that work alongside animal restraint (soft skills, communication, infection control, etc.)
Like so many professions, soft skills can go a long way when working in a veterinary clinic. Compassion for the animals and also the pet owners is so important, especially when an animal is really sick. Good communication with the veterinarian, other veterinary staff, and the pet owners is also crucial to provide the care each animal deserves.
Is a veterinary technician or technology degree right for someone who has never handled animals professionally?
This is what training is for! A formal educational program is a great way to learn and prepare for a role in the veterinary field. Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician Program can get people new to the profession the training they need without making them feel like they need to be familiar with the skills or knowledgeable on the work from the get-go.
It’s important to know that this is not a profession to enter into lightly, however. Working as a vet tech is very physically and emotionally demanding, and there will likely be very hard days on the job. The work is rewarding and important, but not for the faint of heart.
Read more: The Realities of Working in a Veterinary Clinic: What No One Tells You
Learn foundational veterinary skills with Penn Foster
Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician Associate Degree Program allows students to gain the knowledge necessary to work as a vet tech. The program is accredited through AVMA-CVTEA, has two required externships for students to gain real-world experience, and helps prepare students for the VTNE exam. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a credentialed vet tech, request more info and consider enrolling in our program so you can learn the skills necessary for working as a vet tech, including animal restraint.
