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:
- inventory control and procedures
General nursing skills:
- grooming techniques
- administration of medications and fluids
- blood collection and sample handling
- placement of bandages and nursing care
Intravenous catheterization:
- types of intravenous catheters
- placement and nursing care
Urinary collection:
- methods of urinary collection
- types of urinary catheters
- catheterization of dogs
Laboratory sample handling:
- sample collection, preparation and analysis
- record keeping
- laboratory requisition forms and lab log
Clinical pathology:
- diagnostic techniques such as gross and microscopic evaluation for urinalysis
- diagnostic techniques for blood biochemistry assays
- diagnostic techniques for viral testing
- laboratory maintenance and quality control procedures
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;
- perform venipuncture for blood collection and prepare blood samples for submission to a laboratory;
- perform intravenous catheter placement in a peripheral vein and discuss nursing care;
- perform common injection techniques for medication administration in dogs and cats;
- demonstrate safe fluid administration in dogs and cats;
- perform basic bandaging techniques for dogs and cats;
- demonstrate proper urine collection techniques for dogs and cats;
- perform urinary catheter placement in dogs and cats and discuss nursing care;
- provide basic grooming care for dogs and cats;
- examine, clean and medicate eyes and ears;
- demonstrate techniques used to collect, prepare and evaluate laboratory samples;
- perform routine diagnostic testing on blood, urine and other biological samples;
- perform inventory control procedures.
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.
Students in the Veterinary Technology program are required to maintain a minimum grade of C in all courses in order to progress in the program.