Weighing animals is extremely important as it’s one way to determine if they’re healthy or not. Comparing an animal’s individual weight to a set median cannot only help determine its weight but its species and state at the time. It also allows caretakers to determine the amount of food, water, medicine and exercise the animals should receive as well. However, there is much more to weighing animals than just having them step on a scale.
How Do You Weigh Animals?
The number one thing you may not know about weighing and is exactly how do you weigh animals? While some animals are tranquilized and put on weighing scales once they’re not moving. (Would you like to be the person holding the salmon over the scale to lure the bear?) Many animals are fully conscious but not always cooperative. This is where dynamic weighing can be used. How does dynamic weighing account for excited dogs or naughty monkeys? The scale works out an average weight based on the force exerted by the animal over an extended period of time. Once the internal calculation is completed by the scale, it will hold the value this way. Even if the animal fidgets or moves around, it can easily be weighed.
Tough & Versatile Scales are a Must
The number two thing you may not know is you need a tough and versatile scale. You probably already know this but depending on what you’re trying to weigh, you need a tough and well designed scale. Whether you’re in a laboratory weighing small rodents or a vet who only deals with family pets. You need robust animal weighing scales. Often you need a scale that can be easily cleaned and has little to no exposed cables that can be ripped out. Stainless steel scales are rust resistant and easy to wipe down. Usually the pan can be removed so that any dirt that may have accumulated can be cleaned. A zoo or farm might have to weigh animals who live in a variety of habitats. And of course, a scale may need to be moved around within a vet’s office, a zoo or may need to be carried by a mobile groomer. Bringing a scale to various places is made easier with a portable scale. Portable scales that require batteries can be used virtually anywhere.
You Probably Need More than One Weight Scale
While the number three thing you may not know is you may actually need more than one weighing scale. Depending on what animals and what locations you will be, multiple scales might be a necessary purchase. Tigers and rabbits have very different weights, and some animals start as very tiny babies and grow up to be giants. So even for an individual species, it’s important to keep the animals growth in mind. Low platform scales are a favorite for big animals since they take less work to get them on the scale.
Best Ways to Get Animals to Step on the Weighing Scale
The number four thing you may not know is there are several ways to get animals on a scale depending on the animal and its temperament. Getting it on a scale might take some coaxing. Some animals like small penguins or monkeys can be bought with treats while others simply need gentle handling towards the scale. The animals have to get used to the equipment in order for the weighing process to go smoothly. For example, putting food close to the scale can help animals to go close to it and be in frequent proximity. Some animals need a perch or a recipient that must be tared while others should be held by a trained handler whose weight will be tared that means that even if the animal is small, the scale might need a higher capacity to account for the extra weight that will be tared.
Obtain Scale Weights on the Indicator & on the Computer
And finally, the number five thing you may not know about weighing animals is it’s more important than just recording figures. And animals weight alone doesn’t mean much without knowledge of what it may indicate. Knowing what range the animals should be in is essential. There are often factors to consider in order to analyze the data correctly. If a bear just woke up from hibernation, its low weight should take that fact into account. Otherwise, the data could be misinterpreted. Some digital weighing scales offer computer software that keeps track of weighing sessions to allow for quick data sorting, graphing and analysis. This can be a great tool to keep track of animals who will be cared for a long time and keep track of any trends affecting specific animals.
Well, there you have it, five things you may not know about weighing animals on vet scales. Be sure to contact the sales department for product recommendations on all our vet scale and animal weighing products. You can call us (919) 776-7737 or complete the RFQ form on our website.