Equine Science

Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Veterinary Technology Program This course is designed to acquaint the student with the profession of veterinary technology and the role of the veterinary healthcare team in animal and public health. Veterinary office procedures, including veterinary medical record-keeping, veterinary client-patient relationship (VCPR), and breed/species identification will be discussed. This course will also include medical and veterinary terminology, fundamental legal concepts, and state veterinary practice acts.

This course is designed to instruct veterinary technician students in the anatomy and physiology of common structures of small, food/fiber, laboratory, and exotic animals, and compare and contrast the structural and functional differences among various species. Students apply appropriate medical terminology to describe anatomical structures and their corresponding physiology relative to the animal’s position. This course will focus on the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems. The laboratory portion will correlate with lecture material and will help to visualize these concepts. Organ systems include the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems.

Building on the concepts of VETT 105 Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals I, VETT 106 focuses on the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, and immune systems. The laboratory portion will correlate with lecture material and will help to visualize these concepts. Organ systems include the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, and immune system.

This course studies the principles and practices related to veterinary pharmacology. It will explore the most commonly used classes of drugs, the applications to each body system, medication calculations (including fluid therapy and constant rate infusions), and the record-keeping responsibilities involved in handling and dispensing medications, including controlled substances.

Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Veterinary Technology Program This course covers veterinary examination room techniques and teaches patient stabilization and restraint, emphasizing preserving the safety of the patient and veterinary health care team. Discussion topics will include canine and feline behavior, training, learning, behavior modification, perception, communication, and genetic influences on behavior.

This course is designed to provide the student with essential knowledge of companion animals’ common diseases. Students will learn about nutrition, preventative care, standard vaccinations and diseases, zoonotic disease, clinical signs, diagnostic tests, and appropriate interventions. Technical skill topics that will be applied in the clinical setting include routine patient care, inpatient monitoring, medication administration, vascular access, fluid, and oxygen therapy, urinary catheterization, recumbent patient care, and client education. The student will learn to use veterinary nursing care plans to develop critical thinking when caring for patients.

The student will be able to provide safe, humane, and effective monitoring and nursing interventions such as venipuncture, fluid therapy, medication administration, blood pressure measurement, ECG, and bandaging for large animals. Additionally, students will be able to obtain patient history, provide client education, and perform physical examinations on large animals in the clinical setting. Learning large animal diseases and the role of the credentialed veterinary technician will provide them with the knowledge and skills that are needed in clinical practice.

This course is designed to introduce the veterinary technician student to the principles of clinical chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, and parasitology. Topics include common parasites and their life cycles, hematology and the hematopoietic system, emphasizing normal blood smears and common changes seen during disease states of domestic animals. The lab portion is for the reinforcement and application of laboratory procedures and principles taught.

This course serves as a continuation of Veterinary Laboratory Procedures I. It is designed to acquaint the student with the principles of bone marrow samples, cytology, biopsy, blood chemistries, endocrinology, serology, and microbiology. The lab portion provides experience in the clinical application of the techniques discussed in Animal Laboratory Procedures II in the areas of immunology, clinical chemistry, cytology, veterinary microbiology, coagulation testing, and abnormal and comparative hematology.

This course is designed to acquaint the student with laboratory and exotic pet husbandry fundamentals, nutrition, common diseases, zoonotic disease medicine, and treatment. In a clinical setting, students will be able to discuss the recommended diet and habitat for each species covered as well as restraint and treatment techniques, common diseases and zoonotic concerns for pet owners and the veterinary health care team.

Fundamental diagnostic imaging concepts will be discussed, including patient positioning, film processing, digital imaging, radiographic technique, and radiation safety procedures. Other imaging technologies that will be addressed include endoscopy, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, MRI, CT scan, and nuclear scintigraphy. The second half of this course serves as an introduction to the fundamental techniques of veterinary dentistry used by veterinary technicians. Discussions will focus on learning and applying techniques in preventive care, periodontics, endodontics, orthodontics, and dental radiology appropriate for veterinary technicians. The student will acquire knowledge of dental diseases, diagnostic techniques, and therapeutic techniques and equipment.

This course is designed to acquaint the student with standard surgical procedures, principles of asepsis, maintenance of the surgical environment, operating room conduct, surgical instrument identification, care and processing, and patient surgical preparation. The student will learn to work collaboratively to develop a balanced anesthetic protocol and implement a multimodal analgesic plan to improve patient care. Topics include maintenance and troubleshooting of anesthetic equipment, maintenance of a patient airway, patient monitoring during all stages of anesthesia, responding appropriately to changes in patient status, ongoing assessment for appropriate analgesia, and client education to ensure the wellbeing of the patient and efficacy/safety of the medication or anesthetic procedure.

This course is designed to acquaint the student with veterinary emergency and critical care medicine fundamentals and techniques appropriate for veterinary technicians. The student will learn to identify an emergency, assess, and monitor patient status, properly administer medications, fluids, oxygen and blood products, identify equipment required for emergency and critical care patients, and assist in those specialized procedures. The importance of evidence-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques will be stressed.

This course prepares the student to move into the profession of veterinary technology. Topics include professional development, communication (verbal, non-verbal, and active listening), leadership, career options, resume writing, effective job-seeking techniques, and assistance in Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) preparation. The course also provides information on self-care, work-life balance, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

This course prepares the student to move into the profession of veterinary technology. Topics include professional development, communication (verbal, non-verbal, and active listening), leadership, career options, resume writing, effective job-seeking techniques, and assistance in Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) preparation. The course also provides information on self-care, work-life balance, burnout, and compassion fatigue.