Animal Health Care
Our Online Courses Australia Animal Health Care course is perfect for anyone wanting to commence a career in the Animal Care, Animal Welfare services industry or the RSPCA.. This course was designed to cover most of the content found in typical veterinary assistant courses. Whether you are interested in working at a veterinary clinic, wildlife park or farm, this course will cover all the essentials that you need to know.
Topics covered by Animal Health Care include: common health problems, animal behavior, signs of ill health, veterinary facilities, safety and first aid, administration of animal health, preventative health care, routine health treatments, health problems in domestic pets and rehabilitation care.
It will teach students to:
- Describe the scope of services offered by animal care services, including veterinary practices.
- Describe common health problems in various animals, including injuries and diseases.
- Explain the natural behaviour of different types of domestic animals in different situations.
- Identify common signs of ill health in different animals.
- Describe the purposes of different facilities used in veterinary practice.
- Determine safety procedures for a veterinary practice.
- Describe different administration procedures in a veterinary practice.
- Describe and select first aid procedures and treatments for different animals in response to common health problems in animals.
- Describe requirements for maintaining good health in domestic animals, including nutrition and preventative medicine.
- Develop an understanding of routine treatments for healthy animals.
- Develop a broader awareness of health problems and their treatment in domestic pets.
- Develop skills in caring for animals prior to, during and after treatment.
Career Prospects
- General Practice Vet.
- Specialist Vet
- Pathology laboratories.
- Animal hospitals.
- Government veterinary services.
- Pharmaceutical departments.
- Educational and research organisations.
- Animal refuges and welfare organisations
- Pet shops.
- Animal breeders.
- Animal accommodation facilities (e.g. kennels and catteries).
- Wildlife reserves, parks and zoos.
- Farms.
- Suppliers of veterinary products and pet foods.
- Teaching institutions.
Course Delivery
This course is delivered 100% online. Upon enrolment students are issued with a login and password, providing access to OCA's e-learning centre. For a full demo of the OCA student experience from enrolment to graduation click here.
Recognition and Accreditation
Upon successful completion of this course you will receive an OCA Certificate of Achievement in Animal Health Care. There are no pre-requisites to this course.
Units of Study
This course has 12 units of study.
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1. Introduction to Animal Health Care
- Nature and scope of veterinary services.
- Private veterinary practices.
- Other veterinary services, including laboratories, quarantine, agriculture departments, pharmaceutical companies and educational organisations.
- Other animal services; breeders, holiday care.
- Animal welfare and control.
- Veterinary services.
- Code of practice.
- Terminology.
- Transporting animals.
2. Common Health Problems in Farm Animals and Pets
- Causes of ill health.
- Injury.
- Conditions.
- Nutritional problems.
- Living organisms.
- Parasites.
- Family pets common conditions.
- Dogs.
- Cats.
- Caged birds.
- Aquarium fish.
- Mice.
- Wild animals common conditions.
- Reptiles.
3. Animal Behaviour
- Communication in dogs.
- Scent.
- Barking.
- Body language.
- Handling cats.
- Bird language.
- Types of behavior.
- Time orientation.
- Space orientation.
- Territorial behavior.
- Aggression.
- Horse psychology.
4. Signs of Ill Health
- Vital signs.
- The healthy animal.
- Signs and symptoms of diseases.
- Recognising ill health.
- Diagnosis of diseases.
- Taking smears.
- Taking tissue samples.
- Diagnosis and control of different types of diseases including.
- Viruses.
- Bacteria.
- Protozoa.
- Parasites.
- Mites.
- Fleas.
5. Veterinary Facilities
- Types of facilities; clinic, hospital, mobile facility, emergency facility.
- First aid kit; aids for diagnosis, instruments, medicines, preparations.
- Record management.
- Enclosure for animals.
- Environmental requirements.
6. Safety Procedures
- Duty of care.
- Lifting heavy weights.
- Reducing back injury.
- Protective equipment.
- Dealing with chemicals.
- Skin penetrating injuries.
- Risk categories.
- Separating animals.
- Disposal of dead and infected tissues.
- Dangerous non-animal wastes.
- Storage and handling of medicines.
- Handling larger animals.
7. Administration of Animal Health
- Animal insurance.
- Quarantine.
- Importing animals.
- Managing a veterinary office.
- Telephone usage.
- Record keeping.
- Filing information.
8. Animal First Aid
- Types of wounds.
- Cuts.
- Punctures.
- Tears.
- Treating and cleaning wounds.
- Granulating wounds.
- Stitching a wound.
- Bone and joint problems.
- Broken bones.
- Tendon injury.
- Poisoning.
- Restraining animals during first aid.
- Restraining cats.
- Restraining dogs.
- Restraining horses.
- Restraining cattle.
- Restraining sheep.
9. Preventative Health Care
- Preventing ill health.
- Balanced diet.
- Insect control.
- Dip.
- Vaccination.
- Comparing natural active immunity, artificial active immunity, natural passive immunity, and artificial active immunity.
- Tetnus antiserum.
- Types of vaccines.
- Alternatives to vaccination.
- Avoid stressing livestock.
10. Routine Health Treatments
- Desexing.
- Castration.
- Vasectomy.
- Spaying.
- Tubal ligation.
- Castration of cats.
- Dogs.
- Pregancy.
- Gestation periods.
- Euthanasia.
- Anaesthesia and analgesia.
- Preparing an animal for surgery.
- Sterilising equipment.
- Castrating a colt.
11. Health Problems in Domestic Pets
- Burns.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Shock.
- Electrolytes.
- Ticks.
- Reptiles.
- Fish problems.
12. Rehabilitation Care
- Scope of rehabilitation.
- Planning a recovery.
- Animal nursing.
- The hospital pen.
- Monitoring temperature, pulse and respiration.
- Enclosures.
How Long Does The Course Take?
This short course should take approximately 100 hours.
Each unit should take approximately 10-12 hours. Maximum six months access to this online course.
Course Costs
Purchase this course online and complete it at your own pace in your own time.
Pay Now
To purchase this course, simply click on add to cart.
Save at least 15% if paid in full
Pay Now Cost$499
Payment Plan
You may pay for this course via a flexible payment plan. To do so simply select this option and click on add to cart.
$50 Deposit
$50/Week for 12 Weeks
Total Payment Plan Cost $650
