CVA Animal Restraint and Handling 4

Question 1

When restraining a rabbit, which position is most dangerous and should be avoided?

Accepted Answer

Dorsal recumbency with legs extended

Answer

Placing a rabbit in dorsal recumbency can cause severe spinal injury or cardiac arrest due to their extreme stress response and powerful hind legs.

Question 2

A dog is displaying whale eye, lip licking, and a tucked tail during an exam. The BEST next step is to:

Accepted Answer

Pause, allow the dog to settle, and use low-stress techniques

Answer

These are calming signals indicating stress; pausing and using low-stress techniques prevents escalation to fear-based aggression.

Question 3

Which technique is most appropriate for performing a blood draw from the jugular vein of a cat?

Accepted Answer

Lateral recumbency with the forelimbs extended over the table edge

Answer

Lateral recumbency with forelimbs extended over the table edge exposes the jugular vein while maintaining safe, controlled restraint.

Question 4

When using a capture pole (rabies pole) on an aggressive dog, the loop should be placed:

Accepted Answer

Around the neck only

Answer

A capture pole loop is placed around the neck to control the head and prevent biting while maintaining distance from the handler.

Question 5

Which small mammal requires special handling precautions because it can shed its tail (autotomy) if restrained by that appendage?

Accepted Answer

Gerbil

Answer

Gerbils can undergo tail autotomy — the skin slips off or the tail breaks — if the tail is grabbed, making tail restraint strictly contraindicated.

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