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 ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½Evaluation 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 ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½Bookstore 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.