Our veterinary assistant online course curriculum is designed to help students gain career-critical skills and knowledge. You’ll learn everything from front-office management to medication dosages to animal restraint.
The history of veterinary medicine; types of veterinary practices; the team approach to veterinary medicine; rolls and responsibilities of team members; personal qualifications; professionalism and ethics; laws and agencies related to veterinary practice.
Front-office team members and veterinary assistant roles; greeting clients on the phone and in person; telephone triage; scheduling appointments; accounts receivable; pet health insurance; inventory control and reorder points.
General requirements and commonly used formats for medical records; records maintenance; common office forms; procedures for admitting and discharging patients.
Communication with animals and owners; the effect of body language on client communication; the human-animal bond; pet loss and grief; compassion fatigue.
Common terms used to describe animals; anatomical terms of direction; terms for body regions; word roots and combining forms.
Cells and tissues; skeletal and muscular systems; the integument; circulatory and respiratory systems; nervous system and special senses; endocrine, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Dosage forms and calculations; prescriptions; storage and handling of medications; drugs for specific body systems; antimicrobials; antiparasitics; anti-inflammatories; disinfectants and antiseptics.
Dog and cat breeds; ethology; preventing and correcting behavior problems; house training; canine body language; restraint equipment and techniques.
Aspects of preventive care; proper housing and sanitation for dogs and cats; nutritional needs; feeding methods for different life cycle stages; common zoonotic diseases; vaccine requirements.
Patient history and physical examination; therapeutic bathing; grooming and skin care; nail trimming; administering medications; fluid therapy; wound care and bandaging.
The role of the veterinary assistant in surgical nursing; using appropriate terminology related to surgical procedures; sterilizing surgical instruments and equipment; suture materials; asepsis in the surgical suite.
Collecting and preparing samples for diagnostic testing; lab equipment; hematology and clinical chemistry tests; immunology and urinalysis tests; common parasites of dogs and cats.
Principles of X-ray generation; commonly obtained radiographic views for dogs and cats; proper patient positioning during radiographs; safety concerns; radiology record-keeping procedures.
Students will complete a 120-hour externship in a veterinary office under the instruction of a licensed veterinarian or a credentialed veterinary technician.
Describe the interpersonal skills and professional characteristics of an effective veterinary assistant, explain where employment opportunities can be found for those with training in animal care, and outline typical daily responsibilities.
Use appropriate veterinary terminology to describe basic concepts of anatomy and physiology, pathology and disease, pharmacology, dentistry, and nutrition, as they apply to animals.
Describe how to determine the difference between emergency medical conditions and less critical medical ailments by identifying symptoms, signs, and clinical signs, and by reading animal body language.
Explain the fundamental quality control processes used to safely handle and treat both healthy and sick/injured animals, such as when conducting physical examinations, collecting samples, conducting tests, performing procedures, and making observations.
Identify standard procedures used in the animal care laboratory and surgical center and describe the functions, use, and maintenance of the specialized equipment and instruments found there.
Interact with veterinarians, veterinary technicians, clients, and animals, displaying professional skills, appearance, and ethics in a work-experience setting.
In the Veterinary Assisting Career Diploma program, you gain valuable career guidance through your externship experience. But that's not all. Ashworth College also helps you develop the confidence you need to reach for your career goals because we integrate job search prep into your studies. With the online tools at the Ashworth EDGE, you’ll get step-by-step guidance as you create polished, professional resumes and letters. After you graduate, you’ll keep your Ashworth EDGE account so you can revisit the tools any time you need to make a good impression on a potential employer. Learn more about it at the Career Services page.