We are grateful to J.C. Burcham, DVM, for her permission to use the following photos and text. Many thanks to our model, Mr. Maple (pictured to the right), for his excellent cooperation in demonstrating towel wrapping.

Maple is placed in the center of a regular-sized bath towel.

The front edge of the towel is pulled back over his front feet and snugly under his chin.

While keeping an arm over his back, one side of the towel is wrapped over his body.

The hand on his back holds the towel snugly around hisneck, while the other hand pulls the rear edge of the towel up over his back.

The side part of the towel is folded in on itself to reduce bulkiness.

The opposite side of the towel is pulled snuggly over the body.

At this point, I can perform a thorough oral exam, inspect ears and eyes. Remember to practice your technique on a stuffed animal. Loose wrapping can allow space for struggling which can result in injury.