Find out more about Veterinary Assistant Career Diploma

Program Details

The Penn Foster College Veterinary Assistant career diploma program gives students the training to help them begin their path toward employment working with animals. Beginning with animal care and behavior, students learn common animal behavioral problems, and handling and restraint of dogs, cats, horses and other animals. Students study the reproductive, digestive, endocrine, nervous, and urinary systems. Students learn the functions of the major body systems. The students learn about nutrition, focusing on pet foods, methods of feeding, and dietary management for animals. Students learn how to perform physical examinations, look for signs of disease, what to do in emergency care when an animal, due to wounds, experiences shock.

Students are expected to learn basic pathology, immunology, and clinical parasitology. In Small and Large Animal Nursing, students administer oral medications, assist with injections, and assist nursing newborns. The Veterinary Pharmacology lesson teaches students techniques of drug administration, as well as various types of drugs. Receiving basic training in general accounting, students are able to work with common accounting systems in veterinary offices, understand and perform payroll data, billing statements, and learn how adjust or cancel fees and extend credit on accounts receivable.

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