VETERINARY ASSISTANT

Health Services

Career Outlook

Your New Career
With people taking in household pets more now than ever before, the demand for skilled Veterinary Assistants is on the rise. Work for a veterinary office or clinic. The Continuing Education Center training can give you the skills you need to start the exciting career you've always wanted.

The U.S. Department of Labor expects the demand for Veterinary Assistants to increase nearly 23% through 2018.* That means jobs will open up for workers with the right skills. With hard work and dedication, one of these great jobs can be yours.

In as little as one year, you could have the skills you need to enter this exciting and rewarding career field.

Your New Skills
Earn your Career Diploma at home in as little as one year by studying just an hour a day for your new career. You'll learn the important skills you need to be a Veterinary Assistant:

  • You'll learn how to handle and restrain animals, large and small.
  • You will learn the basics of first aid, routine and emergency care, as well as veterinary nursing procedures.
  • This program will teach you the fundamentals of cat, dog, and horse breeding, assisting in birth, and how to raise animal young.

* Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2018. Source: "National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix," a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Program Overview

Learn the skills you need to become a Veterinary Assistant - at home, at your own pace, with the Continuing Education Center.

Work with animals! The Continuing Education Center Veterinary Assistant Program can help you make a difference. Your abilities can keep animals healthy, nurse them when ill — even save their lives! Train quickly and conveniently.

Learn how to:

  • Obtain animal health histories and records.
  • Provide specialized nursing care.
  • Assist in surgical procedures.
  • Wash, feed, and care for animals, and much more.

And you’ll learn it all at home — no classroom needed! You’ll get valuable information about animal-related issues from care and handling to veterinary practice and administration.

Start a rewarding career in a growing field.
Why take a Veterinary Assistant training program? With the right credentials, you can:

  • Be an important part of a professional veterinary staff.
  • Work at a veterinary hospital, animal shelter, kennel, or laboratory.

Demand for professional Veterinary Assistants will rise nearly 23% through 2018.* Pet owners increasingly take advantage of veterinary services, spurring employment growth for Veterinary Assistants. That means more opportunity for you!

Contact the Continuing Education Center Today.

Find out more about the Continuing Education Center Veterinary Assistant training that includes:

  • All the books, lessons, equipment, and learning aids you need
  • Special charts and videos to demonstrate veterinary procedures
  • Unlimited instructional support
  • Access to student services by website, phone, and mail

Get more information today and in as little as one year from enrollment, you can be on your way to a career as a Veterinary Assistant!

* Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2018. Source: "National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix," a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Program Outline

Instruction Sets
Your program consists of nine Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you'll use in your new career.

Here's how it works
Your first Instruction Set will be sent immediately after your enrollment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so you will always have training materials to work with.

You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer (running Windows Vista or later) and the Internet in order to complete your program with the Continuing Education Center.

Here is an overview of what you'll learn and the order in which you'll receive your lessons:

Instruction Set 1

Learning Strategies
The advantages of learning at home; types of study materials; types of examinations; accessing and using the features of our website; determining what kind of learner you are; establishing a study schedule; using study tips; preparing for and taking examinations.

Introduction to Animal Care
Career opportunities in animal care; certification; animal care skills.

Instruction Set 2

Behavior
Types of animal behavior; role of the Veterinary Assistant in behavior counseling; common animal behavior problems.

Handling and Restraint
Handling and restraint of dogs, cats, birds, horses, and other animals; transporting animals.

DVD: Handling and Restraint

Instruction Set 3

Introduction to Veterinary Terminology
Anatomical and veterinary procedure terminology; metric terms and abbreviations.

Animal Skeletal and Muscular Systems
Anatomy and physiology overview; skeletal system structure and function; joints; muscular system structure and function; muscle groups and muscle physiology; skeletal muscle functions.

Integumentary, Circulatory, and Respiratory Systems
Integumentary system structures; the cardiovascular system; blood and other bodily fluids; the lymphatic system; respiratory system structure and processes.

Supplement: Your Guide to Medical Terminology (online only)

Instruction Set 4

Digestive, Reproductive, and Urinary Systems
The digestive system; accessory digestive organs; the reproductive systems; the urinary system.

Nervous System, Sensory Organs, and Endocrine System
The nervous system; the sensory organs; endocrine system.

Learning Aid: Anatomy Charts

Instruction Set 5

Nutrition
Nutrients; pet foods; methods of feeding; anorexic animals; dietary management.

Genetics, Reproduction, and Aging
Classification by breeds; reproductive cycles; gestation; aging.

Avian and Reptile Anatomy
Functions of the major body systems; components of avian body systems.

History and Physical Examination
The chart; systems history; observation, palpation, auscultation; client education.

DVD: Physical Examination and Bandage Care

Instruction Set 6

Pathology
Signs of disease; common diseases of animals; prevention; immunity; zoonoses.

Immunology
Vaccination; vaccination schedules; adverse reaction to vaccines.

Emergency Care
Common emergencies; wounds; fractures; exposure; triage; shock; crisis intervention.

Wound Care and Management
Types of wounds; healing; wound care; bandaging techniques; casts and slings.

Instruction Set 7

Clinical Parasitology
Types of parasites; ectoparasites and endoparasites; testing for parasites.

Small and Large Animal Nursing, Parts 1 & 2
Administering oral medications; assisting with the administration of injections; nursing newborns; geriatric care.

Veterinary Pharmacology
Introduction to veterinary pharmacology; techniques of drug administration; types of drugs.

DVD: Small Animal Nursing

Instruction Set 8

Radiology, Parts 1 & 2
Safety; radiography; ultrasonography; caring for equipment.

Instrumentation and Principles of Aseptic Technique
Small and large instruments; surgical packs; cleaning and sterilization; patient preparation.

Surgical and Anesthetic Preparation
The assistant’s role; animal surgery; surgical preparation; assisting with anesthesia administration; post-surgical cleanup.

DVD: Radiology, Anesthetic, and Surgical Preparation

Instruction Set 9

Veterinary Practice and Administration
Veterinary staff roles; procedure and personnel manuals; facility cleanliness and safety; inventory and supplies; records and logs; admission and discharge; records retrieval and protection; basic filing systems and equipment; screening and processing mail.

Interpersonal Communication
Basic elements of communication; essential personality traits; professional interactions with clients; prejudice, insensitivity, and discrimination; barriers to effective communication; improving your speech; stress and defense mechanisms.

General Accounting Practices
Basic accounting terminology; common accounting systems in veterinary offices; doctors’ fees and fee policies; accepting and declining checks; extending credit on accounts receivable; adjusting or cancelling fees; billing statements and collection letters; deposit slips and bank statements; petty cash; payroll data.

Veterinary Practice Procedures
Practical applications for accounting, interpersonal communications, and office administration skills.

Supplements:
• Work Experience Option (online only)
• Successful Job Seeking (online only)

 

Online Library and Librarian
Students in the Continuing Education Center have access to an online library for use during their studies. Students can use this library to do the required research in the courses they complete or can use it for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and to assist students in research activities during their studies with the Continuing Education Center.

You must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED to enroll in this program.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

Tuition

$788.00

Your tuition includes all books, learning aids, unlimited instructional and student support services.

Click Here Now to enroll in this program or call 716.827.2558