Clinical: minimum 8 hours/week
Students will practice previously taught practical skills on dogs and cats and demonstrate clinical competency in those skills (e.g. through submission of photo and/or video assignments to the instructor), in a veterinary hospital setting.
Checklists, copies of patient medical records, photos and/or video assignments and instructor evaluation of laboratory results may be used to evaluate laboratory skills, client and coworker communication, client education and record keeping skills.
Work experience in a small animal hospital setting:
- client and coworker workplace communication
- telephone skills and client education
Handling, restraint and behaviour:
- fear-free strategies
- canine and feline restraint
History, physical exam and record keeping:
- accurate history taking
- medical records including the subjective, objective, assessment and plan (SOAP) format
- physical exam, including vital signs
- fluoroscein dye test, schirmer tear test and tonometry
General nursing skills may include:
- grooming: ears, nails and anal glands
- administration of medications
- blood collection and sample handling
Laboratory sample handling:
- sample collection, preparation and analysis
- record keeping
- laboratory requisition forms and lab log
Parasitology:
- diagnostic techniques, gross and microscopic identification
Clinical pathology (hematology) may include:
- diagnostic techniques such as complete blood counts
- preparation of blood films, including staining and evaluation, differential white blood cell count, platelet count, and red blood cell morphology
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- demonstrate dog and cat essential skills designated by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, using live animals;
- demonstrate effective verbal communication with co-workers and clients;
- communicate with clients by phone or email and/or perform in-person client education;
- safely handle and restrain dogs and cats for physical exams and clinical procedures;
- obtain canine and feline vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration and blood pressure;
- obtain and record patient history and physical exam data;
- provide basic grooming care for dogs and cats;
- examine, clean and medicate eyes and ears;
- administer medication to dogs and cats;
- perform venipuncture for blood collection and prepare blood samples for submission to a laboratory;
- institute kennel management procedures, including cleaning and disinfection and isolation;
- demonstrate use of common laboratory equipment, including the compound microscope, centrifuge, and equipment and instrumentation used in parasitology and hematology;
- perform diagnostic tests routinely used in veterinary parasitology;
- demonstrate techniques used to collect laboratory samples;
- perform routine testing used in hematology;
- complete laboratory submission forms and logs and prepare samples for submission to lab.
Note: some skills listed may be evaluated in VTEC 2411 Clinical Placement 2
Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline listing the specific essential skills to be evaluated and the evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. The essential skills will be evaluated through submission of a minimum of 15 assignments.
In order to achieve a grade of C (or higher) in the course, students must:
- complete a minimum of 120 hours work in an approved veterinary hospital
- demonstrate competency (a performance of 60% or higher) in an evaluation of each of the assigned essential skills1
1With instructor permission, demonstration of competency of some skills (up to a maximum of 20% of the total number of skills evaluated in the course) may be deferred to future clinical placement courses.
Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
- JM Bassert, AD Beal & OM Samples. (Current Edition). McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians. Elsevier.