Have you ever seen the kennels in a veterinary practice and wondered why they use steel cages? It makes them look a bit less inviting doesn’t it – and some of us may not like to think of our pets behind bars as such. But, there  are practical reasons behind all of this.

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Types of cages

Most practices will see a range of different small animals. These may range from tiny hamsters to big dogs. Different species have different requirements when it comes to housing in the veterinary practice. For example, guinea pigs and rabbits are often housed low to the ground as this is what they prefer, and of course, we try to keep predators and prey separated! Some practices have specially built cages for smaller pets, for example, indoor rabbit hutches.  

Cats are quiet, solitary animals so they do like the quiet when it comes to their stay in the practice. An ideal cage for them would be a cat cube type, high up, which are made from strong solid sides, these are easy to clean, provide warmth and provide privacy from other patients. The doors on these cubes are often made from toughened glass, which allows them to see out of. These are ideal doors as they are quiet to shut, cats are easily spooked. Whilst these are the ideal, some practices do have stainless steel doors and cages for cats. 

When it comes to dogs we have to accommodate for the different breeds as these vary in size. There is a bit more of a range when it comes to types of kennels for dogs. For smaller dogs there are stainless steel cages, often stacked up. For the bigger dogs we have walk-in kennels, made of tough boarding, which are easy to clean, the doors will either be full stainless steel or partial with toughened glass at the bottom, some doors are fully made from toughened glass. Some practices might use metal crates like what we can have at home. It just depends on what space they have.

So why do you use steel cages for pets when there are other options?

There are a number of factors we have to consider here.

Safety

We have to think about safety in the practice. This is to protect veterinary staff and your pets. We have to ensure that when we are housing your pets that they are kept in a secure environment, we wouldn’t want them escaping! Safety doesn’t always mean they have to be kept in steel cages but steel cages are possibly the most strong and secure type to contain an animal. 

Hygiene 

If you think about it, how many animals do you think we see in practice everyday? Probably a hundred or more, in a medium-sized practice. Every day we have animals that have been admitted due to sickness or that stay for a routine procedure. With this we need something to house them in that’s easy to clean and doesn’t stain. Steel cages are much easier to wipe clean and are less likely to attract bacteria as they don’t really have any nooks or crannies to sit in. Most practices have an isolation area, for animals that have contagious viruses or infections. Using steel cages for these patients is great because again, they are easier to wipe clean and disinfect. 

Durability

Stainless steel cages are very durable. They are less likely to corrode or rust making them long lasting, therefore they are a great investment for a veterinary practice. They are also made from materials that wouldn’t be affected when wet, as some animals soil in the kennels. Some animals will get stressed with being in a kennel, particularly dogs, some will try and chew whatever they are housed in. Being housed in steel cages means they are less likely to cause any damage to the cage or themselves. 

Visibility

Steel cages provide good visibility, although so do toughened glass doors. Steel cages have open bars which allow veterinary staff to interact with pets a bit better to assess how they are responding, they also allow a better air flow through the bars.

But how do we make the cages comfy?

When using steel cages it is important to provide some warmth and comfort. Steel gets cold so we need to not allow an animal to sit on a cold surface. When using these cages we can place kennel liners down, a bit like puppy training pads, these are of course absorbent and take the edge off the cold surface. We then provide some bedding on top of the kennel liner. The bedding is likely to be vet bedding. Vet bedding provides warmth and allows the animal to keep off the cold surface. Some animals like their own beds to curl up in so always feel free to take your own bedding, it’s always nice to have a home comfort.

So steel cages have their place within the practice. There is nothing wrong with using them. They are practical, easy to clean. As long as plenty of warm bedding is provided your pet won’t notice that they are sitting in a steel cage – we’ll make sure of that!

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