Why might gloves alone not be sufficient when handling an animal with a wound?

• A. Gloves reduce contamination but cannot protect against all bacteria; use sterile dressings and proper hygiene.
• B. Gloves eliminate all risk of infection.
• C. Gloves are optional if you wash hands.
• D. Gloves alone are enough to stop all contamination.

Answer: (D)

Gloves provide a barrier that helps reduce direct transfer of germs between you and the wound, but they don’t make handling a wound completely risk-free. Pathogens can still get through if gloves are torn or punctured, or if you touch contaminated surfaces and then the wound. Gloves also don’t remove contamination that’s already in the wound or prevent the wound from becoming contaminated during dressing changes. To really protect the animal and yourself, pair gloves with proper wound care—cleaning or irrigating the wound if needed, applying a sterile dressing, and using sterile technique—plus good hand hygiene before and after handling, and changing gloves between tasks. Gloves are an important part of protection, but they aren’t a stand-alone solution.