- Description
- Objectives
- Outline
- Materials
- Certification
- System Requirements
- Watch a Demo
Veterinary Assistant training can help you make a difference in the lives of animals and the people who love them. Our course prepares you for a rewarding career working as a veterinary assistant in a veterinary hospital, animal shelter, zoo, university, or other environment that requires a background in animal sciences. This course provides a well-rounded, complete approach to learning the skills required in the field of veterinary assisting. The course covers the basics of animal behavior and health, safe handling, housing, nutrition, grooming, health care, emergencies and much more.
NOTE: This program DOES NOT License, Certify, or Register Veterinary Technicians in any state through the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
Prerequisite(s): None
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Identify the core elements of veterinary behavior and ways to prevent behavior problems
- List the steps to perform basic pet health care and maintenance
- Name the steps to identify steps for safe handling, housing, and feeding
- Recall systems of the animal body and their diseases
- Recognize aspects of emergencies and basic first aid
Veterinary Assistant Module 1
Animal Care Profession
- Daily Tasks of Animal Workers
- Where Animal Workers Work
- Animal Behavior
- Animal Communication
- Body Language
- Signs of Stress, Fear and Aggression
- Low-Stress Approaches to Handling
Veterinary Assistant Module 2
Safe Handling
- Ways to Protect People and Animals
- Assessing Animals
- Basic Restraints
- PPE
- Safe Lifting Techniques
- Preventing Bites & Scratches
- Large, Exotic and Zoo Animals
Veterinary Assistant Module 3
Housing & Sanitation
- Clean Housing
- Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
- Caring for Cages, Pens, Stalls and Aquariums
- Environmental Controls
- Waste Handling
- Facility Laundry
- Feeders and Lights
Veterinary Assistant Module 4
Animal Nutrition and Feeding
- Basics of Animal Nutrition
- Feeding Charts and Instructions
- Feeding by Species and Life Stages
- Measuring, Mixing and Special Diets
- Water and Hydration
- Safe Food Storage and Handling
Veterinary Assistant Module 5
Grooming and Health
- Why Grooming Matters
- Bathing and Drying
- Brushing and Coat Care
- Nails, Ears and Dental Basics
- Daily Observation and Monitoring
- Vital Signs
- Common Signs of Illness and Injury
- Recording and Reporting
Veterinary Assistant Module 6
Basic Health Care, Infection Control and Disease Prevention
- Assisting During Exams and Procedures
- Giving Medications
- Parasite Prevention Basics
- Observing Wounds and Recovery
- Vaccinations
- How Diseases Spread
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Isolation and Quarantine
- Hand Hygiene
Veterinary Assistant Module 7
Emergencies and Basic First Aid
- Recognizing Emergencies
- Staying Calm and Safe
- Basic First Aid
- Common Emergencies
- Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation
- Escalating and Communicating Clearly
Veterinary Assistant Module 8
Animal Welfare, Ethics and the Law
- Ethics
- Key Laws and Agencies
- Recognizing Cruelty and Neglect
- Reporting Concerns
- Humane Handling
- End of Life Awareness
- Customer Service
- Documentation and Record Keeping
- Workplace Professionalism
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Ed4Career is committed to being both environmentally conscious and making it easier for you to study! We’re making your education mobile! All of our textbooks are now provided as eTextbooks. You can access them on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device and can study anytime, anywhere.
The move away from physical books to eTextbooks means you get the latest, most up-to-date version available. This also makes your training more accessible, so you can study anywhere you have your phone or tablet. The best part is that all materials are included in your training cost so there are NO extra fees for books!
Upon successful completion of our Veterinary Assistant course, students will be prepared for an entry-level position as a Veterinary Assistant and will be prepared to sit for the NCCB national certification exam to become a Certified Animal Care Worker (CACW). NOTE: This program DOES NOT License, Certify, or Register Veterinary Technicians in any state through the Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.
**Certification exams are not included in the cost of the course.**
Internet Connection
- Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections
*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.
Hardware Requirements
- Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
- Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended
PC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Windows 7 or higher
- Microsoft Office 2013 or higher. Also, you could use a general Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player
MAC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Mac OS x 10 or higher with Windows
- Mac office programs or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers- Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- Apple QuickTime Media Player
