The Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton is sent an unsual set of gloves for use in the surgery

We wear standard latex ones when examining dogs’ bottoms to express the contents of their glands or to palpate the prostate. I wear them when on a farm, mainly to reduce the likelihood of getting pathogens on my hands, which might be hard to scrub off, no matter how many times I sing Happy Birthday to myself.

We wear sterile surgical ones when in theatre. Some of us also wear amazingly long ones, which extend to the shoulder. These are required when the whole arm is inserted inside a cow, an important job to check the internal organs.

These special, lengthy ones are called ‘rectal gloves’, for obvious reasons. The best ones have a loop for putting your head through, to stop the glove slipping down past the elbow. It is the rectal glove equivalent of a set of braces.

Rectal gloves also come in a version called ‘extra sensitive’, which can be useful when extra rectal sensitivity is required. But whatever the sensitivity, I also make sure I have plenty in my car boot. Running out of either type of glove – be it standard sized and latex or shoulder length and plastic – does not bear thinking about.

Because of recent viral problems, there is no doubt that many more people will have become experts in protective gloves, some wearing them everywhere they go.

I suspect the suppliers of latex gloves must have struggled to keep up with the new, huge demand, extending as it has beyond the usual vets, dentists, medics and people who spray cars for a living.

The reason I suspect this, is because one of the versions that arrived at the practice recently looked distinctly unconventional.

I eyed them up with suspicion, because on the front of the box it said Premium Grip Mint. These were undeniably a niche product in the field of latex gloves. I’d never come across latex gloves with extra special grip as a benefit. And they were minty green, too!

I didn’t have to wait long to investigate, because I had another set of anal glands to express. I removed one from the box, with its beautiful calligraphic writing, and pulled it on with a satisfying twang.

The twang was quickly followed by an obvious minty-fresh smell and I realised that the deluxe gloves were not just minty in colour, but also in aroma. I wiggled my fingers and sniffed.

These were certainly special gloves, and ones which the veterinary wholesaler must have had left on the shelf.

The current short supply and high demand, I surmised, was a great opportunity to offload some unnecessarily fancy and usually unwanted gloves. I stroked my gloved palm and fingers to try to get a sense of the purported premium grip.

There was, indeed, a subtle ribbing, but it was not possible to tell at this point whether the grip was actually premium. It was ironic that usually when a vet dons a latex glove, the very next application is one of gloopy lubricant, with the exact purpose of reducing grip.

I was certain that my patient Wilbur, a westie with bulging glands, would appreciate lubrication and a lack of grip.

As I sniffed my gloved fingers, which smelt like toothpaste, one more time I couldn’t help but wonder whether the inside of Wilbur’s rectum would benefit from the same minty freshness.

It reminded me of the first time I ever tried a funky new shower gel, which was liberally laced with tea tree and mint.

That didn’t go particularly well, as I recall! I watched for a surprised expression on Wilbur’s face…