Office etiquette is an extremely important class and is incorporated into the curriculum of most veterinary assistant programs. Learning how to deal with pet owners, the proper methods of admission and discharge of patients, and learning the value of the human/animal bond are all part of this learning unit.
Using proper animal restraint techniques keeps not only the animal safe while undergoing treatment, but you and the veterinarian as well. A properly restrained animal allows the veterinarian to perform complex procedures without injuring the animal. The course teaches how to restrain all species of animals under all anticipated circumstances.
Understanding how to calculate the proper dosage of a medication and the proper dosing schedule is imperative to the recovery of any animal undergoing a treatment protocol. Overdosing an animal can cause severe consequences, including death, while underdosing a patient will keep it from recovering quickly.
One role a veterinary assistant fulfills is that of a surgery technician. Veterinary assistants routinely assist veterinarians in the surgery suite by prepping the patient for surgery, preparing surgical equipment and monitoring the anesthetized patient. In this course, the student learns proper aseptic techniques; patient monitoring before, during and after surgery; and proper sterilization methods for surgical equipment.
Collecting laboratory samples and prepare them properly for analysis is the key to a correct diagnosis. In this course, the student learns how to operate a variety of diagnostic machines, as well as procedures for sample collection and preparation techniques.
Radiology is the art of taking diagnostic quality X-rays. Doing this quickly and efficiently is vital to helping veterinarians understand what is going on inside the patient. In this course, students are taught how to control radiation so that proper penetration occurs without using unnecessary radiation, proper logging methods and how to develop the X-rays.