While working emergency medicine, early on in my veterinary career, a patient bit my left hand. This injury almost ended my ability to practice medicine. The infection had spread from my hand up to the left side of my neck. My joints became septic. I had to undergo extensive surgery and was in the hospital for a week. When I was discharged, I had 7 months of physical therapy to regain use of my hand. My health has not been the same since my injury, but I decided during my hospital stay that I wanted to develop a product that animal caregivers could actually use – we desperately needed gloves that were not bulky welder gloves. We needed gloves made for veterinarians to not only protect ourselves but also to provide proper restraint technique for our patients and do it compassionately.
Animal handlers have the second highest rate of work-related injuries and illness according to the National Institute for Occupational Health & Safety, averaging $8.8 million in claims annually with an average of about $2,700 per claim. The Journal of the American Veterinary Association, or JAVMA, states that 50% to 67% of veterinarians and 98% of veterinary technicians will experience an injury at some point in their career.
As an animal caregiver, there are times when we need to protect ourselves while trimming nails, administering oral medication, or cleaning ears. Here are how-to-videos of how to administer oral medication, trim nails, and clean ears while wearing The ArmOR Hand Animal Handling Gloves:
Dr. Laura Catena using ArmOR Hand Gloves: How to Pill Your Pet
Dr. Laura Catena using ArmOR Hand Gloves: How to Trim Your Pet’s Nails
Dr. Laura Catena using ArmOR Hand Gloves: How to Clean Your Pet’s …
A bite or scratch from a pet is often thought of as just a minor inconvenience, but this is not the case. For some people, these injuries can be extremely dangerous. Animal caregivers who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable as these injuries could be lethal. Cleaning ears, giving medication, and trimming nails are some of the tasks pet sitters might find themselves doing and the need for safety is necessary. Healthy animal caregivers who are injured are at risk as well. Here is the story of my bite injury: https://armorhandglove.com/blog/how-i-turned-a-life-threatening-injury-into-a-li fe-saving-product/
A pair of protective gloves are often bulky, inflexible, and don’t allow for a good feel for how much pressure we are applying or for proper tool handling. Many pet owners often turn to welding gloves which either lack the protection required to deflect a sharp tooth or claw or lack the flexibility required to offer
the dexterity needed to perform treatments in smaller areas, like ear cleaning or nail trimming.
The ArmOR Hand® Protective Gloves was designed not only to protect users, but to give them peace of mind. Within the veterinary practice we’ve found that a fearful care provider increases the anxiety of the patient. In these scenarios, animals can act out of fear, causing stress to both patients and providers. When you are protected, your anxiety decreases and this, in turn, decreases the anxiety of the pet.
The ArmOR Hand Animal Handling Gloves come in a variety of sizes to ensure the perfect fit. The size chart is available on our website at armorhandglove.com
The two styles of gloves, the original full-finger coverage style, and the Procedure-Palpitation Glove ensure that whatever tasks need to be done can be accomplished without compromising safety. With the exposure of the thumb, index, and middle fingertips, the Procedure-Palpitation Glove allows pet caregivers fine motor control.
Made from all synthetic materials, our vegan gloves are machine washable and easy to disinfect. Because the gloves are machine washable, you can use treats like peanut butter or baby food on the fingertips and allow the pets to make a positive association with the gloves.
Made of fully synthetic materials with no animal products, ArmOR Hand® Protective Gloves provide protection and maximum flexibility so that you can achieve proper restraint techniques. The gloves are so flexible, you can use low-stress handling techniques. Unlike the bulky “welding-type” gloves, a double layer of knit Kevlar and stretch cordura provides the dexterity as well as a level of protection while restraining. The gloves provide protection up to the elbow.
Our versatile gloves became certified as Fear Free Preferred Product in 2019 because of their ability to decrease patient and caregiver stress, making veterinary visits a positive experience. This means our products can be used by Fear Free certified practices and professionals, knowing that the use of our gloves are able to be used with compassionate handling techniques.
It’s not only bites and scratches that are a cause for concern in animal care, but also the spread of disease. Our gloves are water-resistant and machine washable, meaning you don’t have to rely upon the same pair of gloves for all your patients and they can be easily sanitized between uses. You can simply spray them down with whichever disinfectant you use to clean exam rooms, wiping them down with a paper towel or cloth and letting them dry completely before the next use. The ease of sanitizing the glove means the risk of transmission for both zoonotic and infectious diseases are minimized when done properly. Additionally, the gloves can be machine washed as well, which supports the One Health Initiative.
As animal caregivers, we are very good at taking care of pets and each other. But, we must make our own self-care and wellness the priority. In a profession that we are working with animals, we must utilize tools when necessary. By utilizing protective equipment we are taking proactive step in our own self-care and wellness.
ArmOR Hand Protective Gloves are changing the way animal care is provided, one pair at a time. Pet owners love seeing that I am using a machine washable product made specifically for their pets. More providers are able to avoid injury while compassionately caring for their patients. See how our products can help you achieve “more feels and less force” today by learning more about ArmOR Hand® Protective Gloves . To learn more about ArmOR Hand Gloves, please visit us at armorhandglove.com
Dr. Laura Catena is a veterinarian and developer of The ArmOR Hand Animal Handling Gloves. Dr. Catena developed the gloves after an injury that required extensive surgery and physical therapy to regain the use of her hand. The ArmOR Hand Gloves are used by animal caregivers worldwide.
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