This program will prepare you to become a productive member of a veterinary team. You'll learn about every aspect of veterinary assisting, including anatomy and physiology, animal restraint, laboratory sample collection, assisting in surgery and dentistry, prescription preparation, and taking radiographs.

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You’ll also learn how to interact professionally with clients and gain the expertise you need to educate them about key topics in pet care, such as nutrition, vaccinations, and administering medication. This program is designed for people who want to work at a veterinary hospital and those who are already employed in positions in which they look after animals.



Do you love animals? Have you ever thought about a career as a veterinary assistant? Taught by a practicing veterinarian and college instructor, this intensive program provides the information you need to work with animals in a veterinary hospital.



You’ll first study the major organ systems that you’ll need to know about as a veterinary assistant. Next, you’ll move to front office duties so you can see how to work with clients and handle medical records. You'll also delve into the communication skills that come in handy for the assistant.



The program then moves to the area you're probably most interested in—the back of the hospital. You’ll see how to restrain animals for procedures, take their vital signs (temperature, pulse, and respiration rate), trim their nails, and properly bathe them. You'll also gain the expertise you need to educate clients about key topics in pet care, such as nutrition, vaccinations, and administering medication. 



The program also shows you how you can be an asset during surgery and dental procedures by monitoring heart rate and breathing, passing instruments to the surgeon, and charting teeth. You’ll learn how to prepare prescriptions, take blood samples, perform laboratory tests, and take radiographs.



The program concludes with a lesson to prepare you for the job market, in which you'll see how to create an effective resume, advance your skills, and develop strong interview skills. Upon passing this program, you’ll have the credentials and knowledge to be a valued team member in a veterinary hospital.



Upon completion of the ed2go Veterinary Assistant Program, this is what you'll know:



• Understand the duties of the veterinary assistant.

• Learn the anatomy and physiology of the major organ systems.

• Master office communication skills and see how to handle medical records.

• Learn how to determine age and gender of animals.

• Find out how to restrain animals seen at the hospital.

• Discover how to take vital signs such as temperature, pulse, and respiration rate.

• Learn how to trim nails, empty anal sacs, and properly bathe animals.

• Identify the hazards you'll face in a veterinary hospital from anesthetics, infections, and X-rays

• Explore the reproductive cycles, diseases, and sterility procedures in cats and dogs.

• Find out how vaccines work, when to give them, and how to administer them.

• Learn the basics of feline and canine nutrition, including prescription foods.

• Discover how to prepare prescriptions and understand the different drug classes.

• Learn the different ways to administer medications—orally, in eyes and ears, and by injection.

• Research the euthanasia process from the client's and hospital's perspectives.

• Learn how to take blood samples and how to restrain for the procedure.

• Understand what blood tests tell us, and see how to do a packed cell volume and blood smear.

• Learn how to collect urine and perform a urinalysis, and understand what the results mean.

• Explore diagnostic tests performed in the hospital on serum, skin, and feces.

• Find out about radiation protection and how to position an animal to for a radiograph.

• Recognize and alleviate pain in animals.

• Learn how to deal with common emergencies you'll see in a veterinary hospital.

• Learn how to chart teeth, perform common dental procedures, and provide client education on dentistry.

• Explore the life cycles, diagnosis, and treatment options for internal and external parasites.

• Investigate substances that can poison pets and learn about emergency treatment.

• Learn the names of surgical instruments and how to prepare surgical packs.

• Figure out how to prepare a patient for surgery and help during and after the anesthetic.

• Learn how to prepare an effective resume, advance your skills, and develop strong interview skills.