You will be required to set up housing for different species throughout your career in the animal care industry. Each species will have different requirements or needs. If unsure, it is important to ask your supervisor to ensure you are not negatively impacting the animal’s health and well-being.
We need to consider a few things when setting up animal housing. These include:
- Principles of animal welfare
- Five freedoms of animal welfare
- Species
- Customizing the enclosure to suit the needs of the animal at hand
To do this, we must ask ourselves:
- Is the enclosure big enough for the animal?
- Is the housing secure and escape-proof?
- Is the housing situated in a less stressful area? (Cats housed around other cats and dogs kept away.)
- Is there enough ventilation?
- Is the animal protected from the elements?
- Is there a comfortable resting area?
- Can the animal express normal behaviours?
- Is this cage suitable for this animal's disease and infection status?
- Is this cage suitable for the age and mobility of this animal?
Let’s have a look at housing for dogs in a veterinary situation.
We need to ensure the cage is big enough for the animal. Most clinics will have small cages, medium cages, and runs.
We then need to make sure the animal is comfortable. These ‘fluffies’ are great for medical cages. Any urine or fluids are drawn to the bottom, leaving the surface dry. Although animals shouldn’t be left in a soiled cage, sometimes we don’t realise immediately. This ensures that the animal is not sitting in urine. Blankets and towels are also good options for providing comfort. We also need to ensure the dog has access to fresh water. A stainless-steel bowl can be used for this.
What about cats? What do we need to ensure is included when setting up cat housing?
- Litter tray (big enough for the cat to step inside and squat)
- Bedding (Cats like to hide, so igloos or beds are great)!
- Water bowl with fresh water
Check out the link below and find out the housing requirements for mice!
The main principles to consider when preparing food for animals, according to the Pet Industry Association of Australia (PIAA), are:
- Animals must receive appropriate and sufficient food to maintain good health and growth, recognising the special needs of different ages and species.
- Care must ensure each animal receives the required food, particularly in good housing.
- Food must be stored in a manner that prevents contamination and deterioration. All food must be prepared hygienically.
- Food and water containers must be stable, non-toxic, and easily cleaned and disinfected. Containers must be accessible to animals and positioned to avoid spillage or contamination.
- Spoiled food must be removed, and suitable disposal is undertaken.
- Fresh water must be available in sufficient quantity and for sufficient time from appropriate containers, properly and regularly cleaned according to the species and type of housing. Ideally, water will be available at all times.
Depending on the species you are feeding, replicating the natural feeding environment as much as possible is required. This is commonly seen in captive animals.
When feeding animals in the workplace, you must follow the feeding plan provided for the animal. Look at your workplace's policies and procedures for more information on their specific feeding plans and requirements.
A feeding plan is instructions that should provide you with key information such as:
- feeding methods
- feeding time/frequency
- recipe/ingredients/preparation method
- portion quantities.
The feeding plan is generally written by a veterinarian or senior animal carer or provided by the animal’s owner. Commercial feeding products will also have instructions and recommendations. These instructions and/or recommendations will advise the user on how much to feed the animal based on their weight and how many times to feed them daily.
Separate food and water bowls must be provided and suitable for the animal’s habitat. You should always consider the accessibility for the animal and the carer as they need to replenish the supply.
When choosing a food bowl for the animal, factors you should consider include:
- rounded edges to prevent cuts and scrapes
- non-spill water dishes
- non-toxic manufacturing materials
- stainless steel dishes are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting. Plastic dishes retain odour.
Safety around animals during food preparation and delivery is extremely important. You must be aware of certain hazards and take measures to reduce them. When undertaking feeding and watering tasks, be aware that hungry animals can be quite excited, anxious, possessive, and sometimes aggressive, which may or may not be the case during normal interactions.
Before approaching an animal to undertake feeding and watering duties, ensure you have prepared the area and secured all animals. Observe the animals and their behaviour. Reassure the animal and use a calm voice to talk to the animal. Use appropriate restraint or place the food in an empty cage before placing the animal. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Some hazards that could occur during the feeding and watering process include:
- bites
- scratches
- envenomation
- kicks, crush injuries, head butting, charging, or trampling
- zoonotic diseases.
In the workplace, recording of feeding habits and abnormalities is required. This is vital to ensure the health and well-being of the animals in your care. This may be done on a computer file, a cage card, or as a part of the feeding plan. The information that should be observed and recorded includes:
- any uneaten food from the previous feed
- consumption
- urine, faeces, and vomit
- type and amount of food and water
- general observations of behaviour, demeanour, and health.
If an animal is not eating, losing weight, or displaying signs of pain or discomfort, you should record this and report it to your supervisor.
So, what does the feeding and watering process look like?
- Wash your hands and apply PPE.
- Familiarise yourself with the animal’s feeding plan.
- Prepare the area and ensure it is free from hazards.
- Choose an appropriate bowl for the food, ensuring it is clean.
- Prepare the food according to the feeding plan, ensuring that the food is correctly weighed or measured. Check the food is not spoiled and ready to eat.
- Observe the animal’s behaviour.
- Deliver the food safely to the animal based on your observations of their behaviour.
- Replenish the water.
- Observe the animal and record and/or report any findings.
- Clean up the preparation area and ensure all food products are stored correctly.
Enrichment is used and provided to animals to enhance their environment and encourage natural behaviours and interactions with humans, other animals, and their surroundings. There are different types of enrichment strategies. These include:
- Food-based enrichment
- For example, putting the animal’s food in a Kong or similar toy. These toys encourage the animal to play and move around until the food falls out of the toy. Another example, especially for captive animals, is to hide the food around the enclosure to encourage foraging.
- Structural enrichment
- For example, adding in objects such as swings or climbing towers.
- Olfactory enrichment
- For example, smearing odours on objects and trees within the enclosure.
- Cognitive enrichment
For example, activities that encourage problem-solving. This could include puzzles or puzzle feeders.
- Social enrichment
- For example, introducing species of the same kind or different species they would normally encounter in the wild (as long as this doesn’t pose a risk to the animal’s safety).
- Human-interaction enrichment
- For example, training and trust-building exercises.
It is extremely important to consider the animal's age, mobility, species, and safety when developing or implementing enrichment strategies.
Check out these ideas on the RSPCA’s website:
