VTEC 2243 - Exotic and Lab Animal Care

Course Description

In this course, students will further explore exotic and lab animal medicine theory after they have attended and successfully completed VTEC 2345. Students develop practical knowledge of the principles and techniques of housing and husbandry needs of common exotic pets and laboratory animal species. Through lecture, students will solidify the skills learned onsite on how to handle, determine the sex of, medicate, anesthetize, and restrain common exotic and lab animal species for clinical procedures.

Learning outcomes

Handle, care for, and perform basic technical procedures on common lab animal species and pocket pets.
Explain appropriate husbandry and some common technical procedures for avian and reptiles.
Discuss the principles of research ethics and describe the role of the veterinary technician in animal research.
Identify the required design components of a research facility that are vital to ensuring a proper, safe and humane environment.
Recognize the importance of quality control in a research facility and differentiate between containment and isolation.

AVAILABLE IN CANADA ONLY FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA OPEN LEARNING PROGRAM

Course topics

Module 1: Biomedical Research and Ethics
Module 2: The Animal Facility
Module 3: Animal Colonies, Containment, and Isolation
Module 4: Mice, Rats, and Rodent Technical Procedures
Module 5: Gerbils and Hamsters
Module 6: Degu, Chinchilla, and Mink
Module 7: Rabbits
Module 8: Guinea Pigs, Ferrets, and Hedgehogs
Module 9: Non-Human Primates
Module 10: Avian
Module 11: Reptiles
Module 12: Aquatics and Wildlife

Required text and materials

There is no required textbook for this course.

Additional requirements

Students may also find the following resource useful for looking up any terms in the course with which are not familiar:

Merck Veterinary Manual

Assessments

Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 60% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the final mandatory exam.

Assignment 1: Discussion—Working with Animals in Research	8%
Quiz 1: Research and Ethics	2%
Assignment 2: Facility/Housing Design	12%
Assignment 3: Animal Research Paper — Proposal	5%
Quiz 2: Animal Colonies, Containment, and Isolation	2%
Quiz 3: Mice, Rats, and Rodent Technical Procedures	3%
Quiz 4: Rabbits	2%
Quiz 5: Guinea Pigs, Ferrets, Hedgehogs	2%
Quiz 6: Avians	2%
Assignment 4: Animal Research Paper — Draft	5%
Quiz 7: Reptiles and Aquatics	2%
Assignment 5: Animal Research Paper — Complete	15%
Final Exam (mandatory)	50%
Total	100%

Prerequisites

VTEC 2721 with a minimum grade of C

and

VTEC 2223 with a minimum grade of C

Exclusions

VTEC 2240

VTEC 3150

Open Learning faculty member information

An Open Learning faculty member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.