Veterinary gloves

Why vet clinics use nitrile

Latex free, snug & sold by the case

Per the compendium, clean, non-sterile gloves keep your hands from being contaminated during patient care. Sterile gloves mainly protect the patient during surgery. Most of a clinic's day is the first kind of work.

Nitrile suits that work for two reasons. It is a synthetic rubber, so it carries none of the natural rubber latex behind latex allergy, and the FDA lists it among the glove materials for people who are allergic to latex. It also fits close, for feeling a lump or holding a syringe.

Our veterinary gloves collection runs from $58.95 to $84.95 a case. Most are 100% nitrile, alongside Nitro-V nitrile-vinyl hybrids and a clear vinyl, and many of the product pages name pet care among the jobs the glove suits.

Exam room vet gloves

Glove up for fluids, not every pet

This surprises people: the compendium says gloves are not necessary when examining or handling healthy animals. Gloves go on when contact with something infectious is likely. Its model plan lists these moments:

• Touching feces, body fluids, vomit, wound drainage or broken skin
• Dentistry, resuscitation, necropsy and obstetrical work
• Handling urine, feces, aspirates, swabs and other diagnostic samples
• Handling an animal with a suspected infectious disease
• Any time you have a cut or broken skin on your own hands

Change gloves between animals or animal groups, such as a litter of puppies, between dirty and clean steps on the same patient, and whenever a glove tears. Clean your hands before you put gloves on and right after you take them off, because gloves can have hidden tears and can soil your hands during removal. Disposable gloves should never be washed and reused.

For routine exams, a thin glove keeps your sense of touch. Our blue exam grade nitrile is 3 mil, $59.95 a case, in S to XL, with textured fingertips.

One note on search terms. Cat gloves veterinary teams talk about are often thick restraint gloves, which the compendium lists as equipment for the person holding the animal. A disposable glove does a different job, covered next.

Animal handling gloves vs disposable gloves

Bite protection is a separate glove

Injuries are a real part of animal work. The compendium names bites, scratches and needlesticks as common, and reports that about two-thirds of veterinarians have had a major animal-related injury that cost work time or a hospital stay. Its answer starts with low stress handling training and the right restraint gear.

The NASPHV supply checklist lists leather bite-proof gloves on their own line, apart from disposable gloves. Our pages describe puncture and tear resistance. That is not a bite rating, and none of our gloves is sold as bite-resistant.

Dog grooming gloves for baths & dips

Soap, water & a wiggly dog

Search for dog grooming gloves and you will find two products. One is a rubber glove covered in nubs that pulls loose hair out of a coat. The other protects the groomer's hands. This section is about the second kind of grooming gloves for dogs.

Bath gloves for dogs earn their place for two reasons. Medicated shampoos and dips come with label directions, so read them, including any glove advice. Some skin problems also pass to people: AVMA notes that ringworm can cause skin, scalp and nail infections in people, and sarcoptic mange can cause itching or a rash.

Washing gloves for dogs should fit snugly, so they do not slip off in the tub. Our Heavy Duty Blue Nitrile Gloves (Medical) are 5 mil, $72.95 a case, in XS to XL. For a soapy, slippery coat, our Orange Diamond Grip has a diamond texture its page calls suitable for oily or wet work. It is 8 mil and $99.95, and sizes sell out at times.

Gloves for zoonotic disease control

Germs that pass between pets & people

AVMA defines zoonotic diseases as those that can pass between animals and humans, caused by certain bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The compendium puts the scale in numbers: about 61% of human pathogens and 75% of emerging pathogens are zoonotic. AVMA also says the risk from pets is generally low, though a pet can carry disease and look healthy.

Many spread by contact with the animal or with something it touched, such as an exam table or soiled laundry. Gloves block that path, but the compendium is firm that they never replace hand hygiene. Kept on from one patient to the next, gloves can spread germs instead.

1. Clean your hands before you put gloves on.
2. Change gloves between animals, and between dirty and clean tasks.
3. Take gloves off as soon as the task ends, and throw them away.
4. Wash your hands right away.

For the full disease list and home prevention tips, see the AVMA zoonotic disease resources.

Kennel cleanup & litter duty

Poop, pee & dirty laundry

The compendium calls for gloves when you clean cages, litter boxes, animal-area surfaces and contaminated equipment, and when you handle dirty laundry. CDC adds that dog and cat poop can carry parasites and germs that can harm people.

Kennel runs need a glove that survives scrubbing. Our black heavy duty nitrile is 5.5 mil and about 6 grams a glove, $84.95 a case, and the black hides stains. Its page says it meets US FDA requirements for medical examination gloves.

Here is how to clean a litter box with the CDC and AVMA advice built in:

As for how to pick up dog poop, CDC says to always remove it from your yard and public places, using a bag and the proper bin. AVMA suggests a scooper or a plastic bag over your hand. In a kennel, we suggest a nitrile glove under the bag, so a torn bag never means a dirty hand.

Choosing size & thickness for animal care

Match the mil to the mess

Thin gloves keep your feel. Thick gloves last longer in rough work. Our suggested picks by task, using the mil rating on each product page:

Fit matters as much as thickness. Too tight tears at the thumb. Too loose snags on fur. Have each person try a size: snug across the palm, with no loose film past the fingertips.

Order a case for each size your team wears. Most cases hold 1,000 gloves, some XL cases hold 900, and sizes sometimes sell out, so check the page first. Shipping is free on contiguous US orders for a limited time, and most orders are processed within 1 business day.