GRADING SYSTEM: The Veterinary Technology courses use the following scale for determination of final grades:

A = 92-100%   

B = 83-91%

C = 75-82%

D= 60-74

F = below 60

A grade of 75% or above is required for lecture, lab, and kennel duty to pass this course.  Grade of D is allowed for ACC records, but will disqualify student for progression through the program.  Due to the nature of the program, you would not be able to take the class again until the following academic year – if there is space available.  You must pass the lecture, lab, and kennel duty portions with a 75% or above to pass the class.  If you have a 75% or above in all portions, the grades will be combined to calculate your final grade. 

This class has essential skills associated with it.  Our accrediting body, the CVTEA, sets these.  It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that these skills are successfully completed in the presence of program faculty and documented in Salthouse by the end of the semester.  Final grades are not rounded.

Before a student may progress to a subsequent semester, the student must demonstrate proficiency in the essential skill(s) required of each class.  Duplicate essential skills requirements may be present in multiple classes or semesters, and students may be required to demonstrate proficiency in essential skills multiple times.  At the sole discretion of the instructor, exceptions to the above requirements may be granted in the event that insufficient time exists to teach one or more essential skills adequately.  If a student fails to complete any assigned skill for the semester, the instructor(s) and program chair will review the case to determine student progression.

**If a lab is missed that essentials skills are involved, excused or unexcused, it is the student’s responsibility to source the animal that was used and bring that animal to the college and demonstrated those skills in front of the instructor(s).

METHOD OF EVALUATION:

• 10 % - Assignments, Quizzes, Presentation, and Kennel Duty
• 48 % - Exams
• 30 % - Laboratory
• 12 % - Final

**(Assignments/quizzes, exams and final are all part of your lecture grade)

*** NOTE:  You must pass the lecture, lab, and kennel duty portion with a 75% or above to pass the class. Final grades for each portion are not rounded.

Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine: Principles and Procedures 3rd Edition

by Margi Sirois  (Author)

*Schedule subject to change.

Austin Wildlife Rescue Rehab Center                        UT Research Lab

111 Elbow Bend Elgin, TX 78621                             2701 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712

Pan America Lab                                                        Waco Zoo

4106 Co Rd 309, Lexington, TX 78947                     1701 N 4th St, Waco, TX 76707

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

1. Safely and effectively handle common types of animals (mice, rats, & rabbits) used in

 animal research. Be able to:

• Recognize and restrain mice, rats and rabbits

• Determine sex and understand reproduction 

• Perform and/or supervise basic care procedures: 

  • handling appropriately

  • define nutritional needs/diet

  • watering

  • feeding 

  • identification

• Perform methods of injection: 

  • subcutaneous

  • intramuscular (rabbit) 

  • intraperitoneal (rats,mice) 

• Collect blood samples 

  • Retro-orbital (mice, rats) [Group]

  • Intravenous (rats, rabbits) 

• Perform oral dosing [Group]

• Describe anesthesia and recovery procedures of laboratory animals mice, rats & rabbits

• Explain common disease signs

• Perform necropsy and collect specimens 

1. Describe restraint of non-human primates 

2. List several zoonotic diseases and modes of transmission 

3. Describe how to provide safe and effective care for birds, reptiles, amphibians, guinea

 pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and ferrets. 

1. Recognize, understand, and perform restraint techniques of birds. 

2. List unique husbandry issues for each species (birds, reptiles, amphibians, guinea pigs,

hamsters, gerbils, and ferrets) and provide client education: 

• nutritional needs/diet 

• watering 

• caging (temperature, humidity, light) 

• aquarium care 

• understand reproduction 

• basic grooming (beak, wing, and nail clipping) 

• appropriate transportation methods 

1. Describe how to obtain objective data: birds, reptiles, amphibians, and ferrets 

2. Describe how to administer drugs or medications using appropriate sites and routes 

3. List appropriate sites for catheter placement 

4. Describe tube feeding in birds 

5. Recognize normal and abnormal behavior patterns of exotic species

6. Be able to explain inadvisability of keeping wildlife as pets 

7. Describe appropriate sites/methods of blood collection. 

PROGRAM STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:These learning outcomes are listed in the Veterinary Technology Student Handbook.