What are Veterinary Gloves?

Veterinary Gloves are gloves for use by vets for examinations, surgery or just general animal handling. Because of the variety of things a vet is required to do, there are a variety of different types of veterinary gloves, offering widely different protection. For example, some gloves are designed for performing surgery on animals and these only need to have protection against spreading infection whereas other gloves are suitable for handling venomous snakes.

What Types of Veterinary Gloves Are There?

One of the main types of veterinary gloves is an examination glove. This is your typical latex disposable glove, however it is not always made from latex. Because some people are allergic to latex, these gloves are also made from nitrile and vinyl. Nitrile is usually tougher than vinyl however once cut it flakes away easily. Vinyl gloves on the other hand can be pierced very easily.

Another type of glove is a surgery glove. Again, this is usually a latex glove, however unlike the examination glove it must be sterile, so as to reduce the risk of infection to the animal being operated on.

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For handing more dangerous animals, a needlestick resistant glove may be needed. These are designed to resist sharp points and cuts, and as a result they are the glove of choice for dealing with animals with large claws or talons. However, they do not offer the dexterity and sensitivity needed to examine an animal, and should not be used as such.

What Are Veterinary Gloves Used For?

Because of the wide variety of Veterinary Gloves available, you can use them for almost anything that includes handling animals. The most common use is examining animals brought in and, due to the fact that most pets are relatively tame, for the majority of cases a normal disposable latex glove is suitable. 

This is because these gloves offer the best dexterity and sensitivity possible while still protecting the vet from any diseases the animal may be carrying. By using disposable gloves, you can reduce the chances that these diseases are being passed on to other animals.

Similar gloves to these are worn by vets during surgery, however these must be sterile so as to prevent the chance of bacteria or germs causing an infection to the animal.

Vets may also be needed to handle larger and more dangerous animals; in some extreme cases a needlestick-resistant glove may even be necessary. This is to help prevent the animals’ claws, talons or teeth from causing the vet harm and to make it easier to handle the animal.

If you are interested in getting your hands into some veterinary gloves, head over to Safety Gloves and check out our range of Veterinary Gloves.

£83.33Details HexArmor NSR 4041 Needlestick Safety Gloves Price is per pair of gloves Essential wear when handling needles/sharps Provides superior needlestick resistance SuperFabric offers exceptional mechanical protection    In stock now

£3.73Details Unicare GS001 Extra-Strong Powder-Free Latex Disposable Gloves Powder-free latex gloves with microroughened surface for grip Suitable for medical use, dentistry, food production, cleaning and janitorial work Beaded cuff offers extra strength and prevents liquid roll back Powder-free construction reduces contamination    In stock now