Veterinary Assistant

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the basic commands, functions and capabilities of MS Word.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the basic commands, functions, and capabilities of MS Excel.

In this course students will be introduced to medical terminology relevant to companion animal medicine. Students will develop a foundation in terminology through learning to deconstruct words into their parts: prefixes, suffixes, root words, combining forms and compound terms. They will also learn directional terms and abbreviations associated with body systems, diseases, special senses and diagnoses.

In order to effectively assist the Veterinary team, a Veterinary Assistant must be able to understand and use correct terminology when communicating with Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians as well as talking with clients and translating medical jargon to the clients level of understanding.

This course will cover practical skills, client communication and proper handling of medical records in a veterinary clinic. Whether working as a Veterinary receptionist or assisting with office management and inventory management, it is essential to understand the basics of running a professional and profitable business.

The focus of the course will start with understanding the role of a receptionist, acquiring knowledge in creating and managing appointments, scheduling, sending out reminders to clients, dealing with difficult clients and professional management of medical records. Then will cover basic office management skills relating to basic accounting; accounts receivable and accounts payable, calculations and conversions, payroll, staff management and inventory management.

The student will be guided on managing difficult situations including grieving clients or fellow staff members. 

The student will then complete a WHMIS certificate to ensure safe handling of products, chemicals and medications found in a Veterinary clinic.

In this course students will study the anatomy and physiology of companion animals; the normal structure and location of various organs and systems within the body. Students will look at comparative anatomy; basic differences and similarities between species. This will provide a frame of reference for how the body systems are interrelated and how diseases and pathology can affect these systems, and the animal as a whole.

This course provides instruction on ethics and animal welfare, care and housing of companion animals and provides the student with the foundation to identify all common dog and cat breeds likely to be seen in a Veterinary setting.

While breed identification will focus primarily on cats and dogs, the ethics, welfare and housing discussions will include many exotic pets, as well as large and farm animals. In addition, students will be introduced to genetics, coat colors and traits, reproductive strategies for companion animals and understanding reproductive behaviors in dogs and cats.

The five freedoms will be explored as they pertain to basic rights of animals and the responsibilities of pet owners in the prevention of suffering to animals.

Students will research and differentiate between provincial, federal and municipal law relating to stray pets, wildlife protection, aggressive animals, and cases of neglect.

Field trips will be arranged to local shelters, wildlife refuges or rescues to provide real life context to the material being studied.

In this course students are introduced to the fundamentals of animal nutrition. Beginning with the 6 nutrient groups, then understanding the nutrient requirements of feeding for each species, age and lifestyle. Students will be able to identify how diets lacking or exceeding nutrient profiles can cause or exacerbate diseases, and how disease conditions will alter the nutrient requirements. Students will be introduced to the relevance of clinical nutrition, and its role in management of specific pathologies.

One of the key skills a Veterinary Assistant must master is effective restraint of various breeds and species with safety and wellbeing as a top priority. In this course students will observe and learn to understand animal behavior, discuss and analyze common animal behavior problems, and the possible corrections for these behaviors.

Understanding normal behavior for a companion animal, learning basic training concepts, and discussing some behavioral modification techniques will allow Veterinary Assistants to provide the highest level of animal care, safety for all veterinary clinic staff and client education.

Students will learn restraint techniques for common medical procedures and diagnostics, safety while transporting or retrieving an animal from a cage or carrier, and use of tools and protective equipment while handling an aggressive or fractious animal. Ample time will be devoted to practicing common restraint techniques.

Students will then complete “ Fear-Free certification” – the goal being to provide safe and effective restraint while causing the minimal amount of stress to the animal.

In this course, the student is introduced to the management of a Veterinary clinic pharmacy; methods of organization, ordering products, managing expired medications and supplies, spill protocols, and utilizing computer software to track inventory. They will focus on topics such as classification of medications, routes of administration, calculating dosages and safe and accurate dispensing procedures. Students will learn the Veterinary board regulations surrounding controlled medications, the documentation necessary for handling, administering or dispensing these medications.

In this course the student will review basic mathematical principles and be introduced to mathematical elements which will be required daily as a Veterinary assistant; calculating drug doses, converting to and from the metric system, calculating dilutions and solutions. With the diversity of the role of the Veterinary assistant, it is important to develop a strong skill set of basic mathematical principles so that it can be applied to everyday situations on the job.

In this course the student will learn the basic nursing skills required for patient care. Performing a basic physical exam, recording and monitoring a patient’s vital parameters, recording all aspects of care in a medical record, administering medication, providing first aid care, wound care and bandaging and advocating for patients. A Veterinary Assistant has a large role to play in educating clients on preventive medicine with special focus on vaccinations and parasite control. The course will then introduce the concepts of triage and emergency protocols within the Veterinary practice.

Students will learn about the most common dental disease in dogs and cats; periodontal disease. Topics covered include prevention, identification and treatment of periodontal disease, and client education relating to pet oral health issues.

Exotic pets will be treated by Veterinarians who specialize in exotic medicine, and the Veterinary Assistant must have a basic knowledge of the comparative anatomy, common diseases and techniques of basic nursing care for “pocket pets” (hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, etc) as well as birds and reptiles/amphibians. This course will cover a basic range of nursing protocols and supportive therapy techniques for some of the commonly owned exotic pets.

Large/farm animal and equine Veterinary medicine is a large and diverse topic, but in this course students will be introduced to the basics of large animal husbandry, restraint for large
animals, routine procedures for large animals such as dental and foot care, and the common routes of administration of medications for large and farm animals.

In this course the student will be introduced to the role of the Veterinary Assistant in surgery; surgical preparation of the facility, preparation of the patient, patient monitoring, assisting the surgeon and in recovery of the patient. Skills such as surgical instrument identification, surgical pack preparation and sterilization, aseptic technique and knowledge of the anesthetic machine are vital. The course will cover basic monitoring and care of the patient from the time of being admitted, through surgery, up to and following discharge.

This course focuses on the safe and correct handling and preparation of biological samples. Students will research the various types of samples, the differences in clinics which use in-house equipment compared with outsourcing to an independent laboratory, and will develop an understanding of use of various laboratory equipment. The veterinary assistant also plays a vital role in client education to ensure understanding the necessity of testing, and in client compliance with parasite identification, control and prevention.

In this course students will study the physics behind the generation of an X-ray beam, from its origin, through the patient and onto the film which creates the image. Students will research the benefits of digital imaging when compared with traditional radiographic image production, and will be introduced to basic concepts surrounding the other diagnostic imaging modalities; contrast studies, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI and endoscopy. Veterinary Assistants must well aware of the safety considerations for both Veterinary staff and patients during the procedures, and will be best prepared to assist effectively during these procedures with a solid understanding of how each piece of equipment operates and how the resulting information will provide the Veterinarian an opportunity to form a diagnostic plan.

This course will provide opportunities for industry certificate workshops like WHMIS, Standard First Aid with CPR-C, and DOGSAFE Canine.

Students will work under the direct supervision of an industry mentor. To assist students as they prepare for the transition from post-secondary education to the world of work or, in the case of those re-training for a new career, to introduce students to their new area of employment.

No prior experience is required. The program is designed for beginners and provides all the essential knowledge and hands-on skills needed to start a career in the veterinary field.

Yes! The program includes both theoretical learning and practical training, including a practicum to gain real-world experience in a veterinary or animal care setting.

Yes, the program includes both written exams and practical assessments to test your knowledge and skills in real-life scenarios.

Feed, handle, train and groom animals and assist veterinarians, animal health technologists and technicians and animal breeders. Pet groomers clip coats, bathe and otherwise groom pets. Workers in this group are employed by animal hospitals and clinics, animal shelters, breeding and boarding kennels, zoos, laboratories, retail pet shops, dog training schools, pet grooming establishments, or may be self-employed.