As animals play an increasingly important role in our lives, scientists have sought to learn more about their health and well-being. Taking a look at the pets that live in our homes, on our farms, and in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, this course will examine some of the common diseases and treatments for domestic animals. Toxins, parasites, and infectious diseases impact not only the animals around us, but at times…we humans as well! Through veterinary medicine and science, the prevention and treatment of diseases and health issues is studied and applied.
Prerequisites: None
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Discuss what the areas of veterinary science and medicine include and how these areas differ from each other
- Demonstrate understanding of the history of veterinary science and medicine
- Examine some of the research areas that veterinary scientists are working on today
- Investigate the educational and other requirements for veterinarians and veterinary scientists
- Discuss some of the ethics in the profession and some of the controversial issues
- Demonstrate understanding of what the nervous, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems consist of and what they do for the body
- Examine how skeletal and muscle disorders can affect animals
- Discuss several infectious diseases that animals can catch from infected animals
- Investigate the causes and symptoms of select diseases
- Demonstrate understanding of some of the treatments and preventative measures that veterinary scientists have discovered for these diseases
- Discuss why the health of horses, cattle, and swine is important for public health
- Demonstrate understanding of several diseases that can affect horses and how they are treated
- Examine what mad cow disease is and why it is such a feared disease for cattle
- Investigate several diseases that affect cattle and the impact that they have
- Discuss some diseases that affect swine and how they are treated
- Discuss what exotic animals are and why treating them may take additional education and training
- Demonstrate understanding of some of the diseases that affect birds and what treatments are used for these diseases
- Demonstrate understanding of some of the diseases that affect reptiles and what treatments are used for these diseases
- Examine what roles veterinary scientists may fill in zoological parks and sanctuaries
- Investigate what challenges veterinary scientists face when working with animals at zoological parks and sanctuaries
- Discuss what toxicology, toxicity, and toxicosis are and how these concepts relate to veterinary science and medicine
- Demonstrate understanding of how acute toxicosis differs from chronic toxicosis
- Discuss how exposure to toxins can occur and what factors affect toxicity
- Examine some of the natural forms of poisoning, such as poisoning from certain plants and fruits and bites from poisonous snakes
- Investigate some artificial substances that can cause poisoning, such as rodenticides
- Demonstrate understanding of what parasites are and how they relate to hosts
- Discuss several different types of parasites and how they differ
- Examine how animals may become infected with parasites and how parasites may be transferred from animal to animal
- Investigate some of the different symptoms that animals can experience due to parasites
- Investigate some of the different life cycles for common parasites
- Demonstrate understanding of zoonoses and why they are a concern to veterinary scientists and public health officials
- Discuss Hantavirus and how it is transmitted to humans
- Examine the plague and how this zoonotic disease has impacted human societies throughout history
- Investigate anthrax and how it can be transmitted to humans
- Discuss ringworm and the symptoms of this zoonotic infection
- Demonstrate understanding of holistic and allopathic veterinary treatments and how they differ
- Discuss the use of acupuncture for the treatment of animal diseases
- Examine how hydrotherapy can benefit horses and dogs
- Investigate how herbs and botanicals are used to treat animal diseases
- Demonstrate understanding of the use of essential oils with animals
Course Outline:
Unit 1: Introduction to Veterinary Science
Unit 2: Small Animal Medicine
Unit 3: Large Animal Medicine
Unit 4: Exotic Animal Medicine
Unit 5: Poisoning & Toxicology
Unit 6: Veterinary Parasitology
Unit 7: Zoonotic Diseases
Unit 8: Holistic Veterinary Science and Medicine
Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.
Additional Costs: None
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system.
Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful. Summer sessions are 10 weeks long: Students must be able to spend a minimum of 2 or more hours per day, or about 90 hours during the summer, for the student to be successful in any course. Trimester sessions are 12-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1.5 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to:
- Download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
- Download and install software
- Use a messaging service similar to email
- Communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
- Open attachments shared in messages
- Create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
- Edit file share settings in cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Save a file as a .pdf
- Copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
- Insert images or links into a file or html editor
- Search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
- Work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
- Activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
- Use presentation and graphics programs
- Follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
- Use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
- Create and maintain usernames and passwords
Additional Information: None