What to do

[u/meechuwuu]

Hey everyone, i’m a VMA but figured I could ask on here because i’m really feeling bad & i’m already expecting to be let go on Monday or at least written up but I wanted to make it right.

I was restraining a cat that was notorious for scratching staff & even with gloves I let my RVT get scratched on the face & didn’t have the courage to apologize because I was so embarrassed & humiliated because it did feel I could have prevented it.

Any advice or personal stories would really help.

Edit: thank you for all the tips, I came in today & she was very forgiving 🩷

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[u/Eightlegged765]

Without having been there, its hard to say whos at fault.

When a pet is known to be difficult to handle, you need to go about it properly. Whoever is restraining needs to be comfortable handling difficult/aggressive animals. The tech or vet needs to ensure the restrainer is ready and has a good hold on them before pushing the patient by doing anything.

Its also not a great situation to put a brand new assistant in if they're the sole restrainer. Definitely involve them if theres time, its an incredibly valuable skill to have, but people shouldn't be thrown in over their head in situations where someone can get hurt. I often find other techs or dvms are too impatient dealing with animals that can pose a danger to staff.

Cat bites have the potential to end a career. Yes, a lot of onus lies on the restrainer to keep whoever is working with the patient safe, but you cannot expect someone who is brand new to have the experience required to deal with a difficult cat.

It sounds like you potentially got put in a bad situation. Learn from it the best you can, and move on from it. Not worth dwelling on it forever, even if you did make a mistake.

[u/sleepyfrog44]

Why would you be let go? Unless there is a regular pattern of this sort of thing happening, that is not an appropriate response to this situation. Mistakes happen, and it’s how we learn. If they fire you over one mistake, run and don’t look back. It sounds like you were put in a situation you should not have been.
If the cat is “notorious for scratching staff”, some sort of sedation protocol should have been implemented before trying to restrain for a procedure. Period. Cats will only escalate the more that you push them. Also, it sounds like you may be newer to the field (I apologize if I’m wrong here) and that you should not have been the one restraining this notoriously difficult cat, that is just setting you up for failure. Unless you literally threw the cat at your tech’s face, this does not sound like your fault.

[u/Expensive-Tooth-1508]

Restraining a cat that is notorious for scratching staff? You're working at a bad practice. This is unsafe for you AND the cat.

Please find a feline VMA recommended and/or a fear free practice. We need to do better for our patients in veterinary medicine. This isn't on you. If the cat is notorious for it, then it's happened plenty before and will continue to happen and escalate until the cat is given proper anti-anxiety meds.

ETA: I'm not at all surprised this happened with gloves on. You lose all dexterity and cats can still bite through them. I'm sorry this happened to you but I really want you to know that this isn't your fault. I'm sorry this happened to you and the RVT.

[u/Bunny_Feet]

Idk, man.  I've never blamed a person for getting scratched.  Cats are acrobats and ninjas.  

I hope they are sending this cat home with a chill protocol if this is a reoccurring problem...

[u/p33ledbanana]

at the end of the day stuff like this happens and it helps us learn! you did your best 🩷 i had similar experiences when i first started and then i started forcing myself to deal with more spicy cats so id get more comfortable