Animal Health Care

Course Code	VAG100
Fee Code	S2
Number of Assignments	12
Duration (approx)	100 hours

COURSE STRUCTURE

There are twelve lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to Animal Health Care
2. Common Health Problems in farm animals and pets
3. Animal Behaviour
4. Signs of Ill Health
5. Veterinary Facilities
6. Safety Procedures
7. Administration of Animal Health
8. Animal First Aid
9. Preventative Health Care
10. Routine Health Treatments
11. Health Problems in Domestic Pets
12. Rehabilitation Care

Aims

• Lesson 1
  To be able to describe the scope of services offered by animal care services, including veterinary practices.
• Lesson 2
  Describe common health problems in various animals, including injuries & diseases.......
  • causes of ill health
  • problems in family pets
• Lesson 3
  Explain the natural behaviour of different types of domestic animals in different situations.
  • natural behaviour of animals
  • problems in wild animals
  • behaviour in domestic animals
• Lesson 4
  Identify common signs of ill health in different animals.
  • vital signs
  • the healthy animal
  • signs & symptoms of disease
  • diagnosis & control of diseases
• Lesson 5
  Describe the purposes of different facilities used in veterinary practice.
  • the first aid kit
  • enclosures for animals
• Lesson 6
  Determine safety procedures for a veterinary practice.
  • workplace safety
  • health & safety for veterinary practices
• Lesson 7
  Describe different administration procedures in a veterinary practice.
  • animal insurance
  • legal considerations
  • managing a veterinary office
• Lesson 8
  Describe/select first aid procedures/treatments for different animals in response to common health problems in animals.
  • types of wounds
  • treatments
• Lesson 9
  Describe requirements for maintaining good health in domestic animals, including nutrition & preventative medicine.
  • preventing ill health
  • vaccinations
• Lesson 10
  To develop an understanding of routine treatments for healthy animals.
  • desexing
  • managing a pregnancy
  • euthanasia
• Lesson 11
  To develop a broader awareness of health problems and their treatment in domestic pets.
  • ticks
  • Australian animals
  • birds
  • reptiles
  • fish
• Lesson 12
  To develop skills in caring for animals prior to, during or after treatment.
  • planning a recovery
  • animal nursing

EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE

• Contact several bodies/organisations that are concerned with animal welfare, and obtain any literature or other information which you can, regarding issues such as:

o        Restrictions placed by local councils upon the keeping of pets.
o        Legal requirements on animal owners, with respect to animal welfare

• Find two different types of domestic animals which you can observe (ie. different species).
• Observe each on two different occasions, for at least 15 minutes each time.
• Make notes of their behaviour.
• Note any similarities between behaviour on the different occasions, and between the different types of animals.
• Describe methods used for controlling/restraining animals during an examination
• List as many things as you can that might cause a dogs temperature to go to 40^oC.
• Contact a state government veterinary/agriculture department, and find out anything you can about health risks to humans from domestic & farm animal diseases in your country.
• Try to determine what animals are the biggest threat; what diseases are a more serious threat, and what controls are in place to minimise such problems.
• List any animal diseases which may be also contracted by man, which you are aware of?
• Research exotic diseases in your country or region and take notes
• Design a standard "Patient record" card/form for use by a general practice veterinarian.

 

Scope of Animal Health Work

People have domesticated animals for various reasons, in particular, as pets (to keep them company), and as farm animals (to either work or to provide a product such as meat, wool or dairy produce).

Whatever the reason animals are being kept, it is now well accepted that the owners of any animal have a responsibility toward the animal they keep. That responsibility is both a matter of ethics, and increasingly is also a matter of law.

Veterinary Services

These may include:

• The General Practice Vet
• Specialist Vets
• Pathology Laboratories
• Animal Hospitals
• Government Veterinary Services
• Pharmaceutical Departments
• Educational and Research Organisations.

Veterinarians are scientists who have university level training. They are highly skilled professionals.

They are commonly supported/assisted by veterinary assistants or nurses who may work in any or all of the following areas:

• Reception and general office duties
• Medical nursing -including investigative procedures
• Surgical nursing
• General cleaning
• Technical maintenance

Traditionally, veterinarians have employed people at various levels to undertake different combinations of these tasks.

The lowest level has been an "Animal attendant" or "Trainee veterinary nurse" who has been responsible for tasks such as:

-Basic office duties such as answering the greeting customers, answering the phone, typing, processing mail etc.

-Basic animal care such as grooming, feeding, cleaning and restraining (eg. placing animals in a cage, or holding them during an examination).

An Animal attendant would normally be closely supervised in their duties, by a veterinary nurse or a veterinarian. An animal attendant might not necessarily have any formal training; but people employed as such are often expected to pursue a course of training to develop further skills and qualify them to work at a higher level as a trainee veterinary nurse, and eventually a qualified veterinary nurse.

Learn to care for the health of any type of animal (focus is on mammals and birds) and understand the scope of services offered by animal care services, including in veterinary practices. This course is appropriate for anyone interested in working with animals including on a farm, a wildlife park or a veterinary practice. It is a sound foundation course and designed to cover most of what is found in a typical veterinary assistants course in many countries around the world.

Comment from one of our Animal Health Care students:

" I cannot praise the animal health care course highly enough. I have learnt a great deal, far beyond my wishes" G. Kite