General OSHA Safety
We work with Partner Hospitals that are OSHA compliant, providing a workplace that is free from recognized hazards.
At a minimum, Associate IndeVets should be provided with:
- Proper PPE needed for protection from zoonotic diseases and other infectious agents.
- Access to appropriately labeled disinfectants.
- Appropriate sharps containers for disposal of single-use microscope slides, needles, and syringes.
- Building evacuation plans in case of emergency.
Radiation Safety
Associate IndeVets are not able to perform radiographs or be in the room while radiographs are being taken without a personal dosimetry badge. Radiology badges must be assigned to an individual person and cannot be shared amongst multiple people.
Partner Hospitals may elect to purchase and provide a radiology badge for an individual Associate IndeVet that has recurring exam or surgical shifts. If you choose to do this, please remember:
- Partner Hospitals are responsible for monitoring radiology badges and should provide the Associate IndeVets with reporting upon request. Immediately inform IndeVets at should any overexposure concerns arise.
- Associate IndeVets with radiology badges must be provided with appropriate PPE, including lead gown, lead thyroid guard, and lead gloves, free of creases and holes; and routine inspection should be documented and available upon request.
Associate IndeVets can participate in professional dental cleanings but cannot hold or stand next to the radiation source while it is in use. Associate IndeVets must stand 6 feet away from the dental x-ray source while it is in use. If an Associate IndeVet has been provided with their own personal dosimetry badge, they can hold and take dental radiographs.
Highly Anxious, Fearful, or Stressed Pets
Practicing Fear Free has been shown to improve the client-veterinary bond as well as various types of patient compliance.
Most Associate IndeVets are Fear Free Level 1 certified, and IndeVets encourages the practice of fear free medicine and techniques in our Partner Hospitals. Click here to learn more about Fear Free handling.
The goal of Fear Free practice is to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in pets by focusing on emotional wellbeing and enrichment to improve the lives of pets, owners, and caregivers. Fear Free certified professionals are trained to recognize and treat FAS.
As FAS elevates it can become unsafe for the pet and the team to continue handling.
- In these instances, an Associate IndeVet will step back to assess the situation and determine if the appointment should be ended and the patient rescheduled to come back on pre-visit pharmaceuticals, or if injectable sedation is necessary to safely continue.
Pre-Visit Pharmaceuticals (PVPs)
- PVPs may include, but are not limited to trazodone, gabapentin, and acepromazine.
- It is not recommended to use acepromazine as a single agent due to its limited ability to adequately control a patient’s FAS.
Considerate Approach
- Pets can be sensitive to touch. Maintaining a continuous gentle touch (touch gradient) of the patient can help to reduce stress and anxiety by eliminating the continuous shock of a new touch.
- Starting the pet’s exam over the shoulders and back can reduce stress while allowing a full exam by gently moving from one location to another. The goal is to move from the least sensitive parts of a pet’s body (shoulders, trunk) to the more sensitive parts (teeth/face).
- Providing high value treats such as squeeze cheese or baby food for dogs or Churu for cats can reduce stress and anxiety for the patient during the exam and while administering treatments.
Feline-friendly handling
- Cats can be quite challenging in the veterinary environment. For more information on feline-friendly handling, click here.
- Whenever possible, an Associate IndeVet may elect to examine a feline patient in their carrier or on/wrapped in a towel to minimize FAS.
- Scruffing causes a significant and sudden increase in FAS in cats and should be avoided.
- It is not recommended to use an inhalant anesthetic and induction chamber (“boxing down”) for cats. This method is unsafe for the patient as it immediately spikes FAS in cats and delivers an unknown dose of anesthetic to a patient without control of the patient. It is also unsafe for staff members as the anesthetic gas is released from the box without being scavenged when the top is removed.
Providing Fear Free care takes time initially but will save you time in the long run!
We understand that it can be challenging to start practicing Fear Free initially. Taking a few minutes to slow down and use these techniques will help your veterinary practice by alleviating stress and helping to prevent reactive pets, stressed out owners, and frustrated staff. Fear Free care has also been shown to reduce injuries in the workplace! IndeVets and Fear Free have partnered together and we are pleased to provide you with a 25% discount for Fear Free certification for individuals or team registration for your hospital using the code ff23indevets25.
