Become a Veterinary Assistant II: Canine Reproduction
Distance Learning Course of 12 Lessons
Course Description
This course is the definitive guide to the principles of sound dog breeding. If you’re a veterinary assistant or preparing to become one, this course will help you understand the essential facts so you can knowledgeably converse with clients on the complexities of canine reproduction.
Candidates for a breeding program need to be assessed not only for conformation, but also for health. They need a thorough reproductive examination and they should be screened for hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia and eye diseases. Once selected, individual dogs are prepared for breeding with the help of proper nutrition, good parasite control, and appropriate vaccination programs.
By studying the hormonal cycle of the female dog in depth, the optimal time for breeding, for both natural mating and artificial insemination, can be identified. When a female fails to conceive, it is important to understand the potential causes. She may be suffering from infertility, but so may the male dog. You’ll find out why.
Once the female has been confirmed pregnant, her needs must be met and preparations made for whelping (by knowing what is normal, when to intercede, and when to seek professional help). Postpartum complications in the female must be considered and close attention given to the needs of the puppies to ensure they reach weaning time in good health.
Tuition & Fees
180.00 CAD
A new session of this course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you’re encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Week One
Lesson 01 – Prebreeding Assessment and Management
Wednesday
In our first lesson, you’ll learn how to select parents for your breeding program by using blood tests, radiographs, and physical examinations. I’ll give you a primer on genetic disease and then finish by telling you all about management of the breeding pair, specifically vaccinations, deworming, and nutrition.
Lesson 02 – Female Reproductive Anatomy and Disorders
Friday
How well do you know the female dog’s anatomy? Besides learning the difference between the uterus and the oviducts, we’ll look at the physical abnormalities that plague the female dog. You’ll also find out how to diagnose infections and how those infections can impact fertility.
Week Two
Lesson 03 – Male Reproductive Anatomy and Disorders
Wednesday
Today, we’ll turn our attention to the male dog. He’s a far more important contributor to the gene pool than the female. We’ll delve into reproductive diseases that strike the male, such as cryptorchidism and Brucellosis, and conclude with a look at maladies such as testicular and prostatic disease that strike the geriatric male.
Lesson 04 – The Reproductive Cycle and When to Breed
Friday
When is the right time to breed a female dog? Though this is a simple question, the answer eludes many people. Today, we’ll examine the reproductive (estrous) cycle of the female. You’ll discover myriad ways to pinpoint the most productive time to breed.
Week Three
Lesson 05 – Natural Breeding and Artificial Insemination
Wednesday
In this lesson, we’ll explore two methods of breeding—natural and artificial. You’ll be able to tell when there are problems with natural mating. When we look at artificial insemination, you have to know how to collect and evaluate semen to ensure the male is fertile. We’ll cover how to do this as well as techniques for insemination.
Lesson 06 – Reasons for Female Infertility-Uterine and Ovarian Disorders
Friday
By now, the female has been bred and you expect a pregnancy. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen every time. In today’s lesson, we’ll focus on reasons for infertility in the female, such as pyometra and cystic endometrial hyperplasia.
Week Four
Lesson 07 – Reasons for Female Infertility-Effects of Abnormal Estrous Cycles
Wednesday
We’ll now turn our attention to the hormonal fluctuations that influence fertility. We’ll examine silent heats, persistent estrus, and a variety of other abnormalities. We’ll even go over a few problems with sexual behavior.
Lesson 08 – Reasons for Male Infertility
Friday
In this lesson, we’ll review some of the important reasons for male infertility. You’ll begin by finding out why the male may not want to mate, such as having arthritis in his spine. Next, we’ll look at semen production and the negative effects of such things as prostate infections. We’ll conclude the lesson with a review of a male reproductive examination.
Week Five
Lesson 09 – Pregnancy Diagnosis and Care of the Pregnant Bitch
Wednesday
Assuming everything has gone right, you now have a pregnant dog and you have to take care of her. What should she be fed? Should she be vaccinated? What diseases could strike her during this time? We’ll look at two specific examples you need to watch for—diabetes and pregnancy toxemia.
Lesson 10 – Whelping-Normal and Assisted (including cesarean)
Friday
Finally, it’s puppy time! In today’s lesson, you’ll learn what to expect during whelping. You’ll know what’s normal and when to suspect complications. Of course, our lesson wouldn’t be complete without examining how to solve a whelping problem. You’ll learn what you can do and how a caesarean is done.
Week Six
Lesson 11 – Postpartum Disease
Wednesday
Many people breathe a sigh of relief once the puppies are born, but for some dogs, this is when the problems really begin. Today’s topic is postpartum disease. These diseases include mastitis, metritis, and hypocalcemia—a condition where the blood calcium drops to dangerous levels.
Lesson 12 – Neonatal Care-Birth to Six Months
Friday
This final lesson is all about puppies. We’ll look at the importance of the first drink of milk. You’ll find out how to evaluate if they’re getting enough food, and what to do if they aren’t. We’ll also look at how to keep them warm so they aren’t chilled. And we’ll conclude this lesson and the course with an itinerary that shows you what to do for the first six months of a puppy’s life.
On completion of this course, you will receive one qualification:
Become a Veterinary Assistant II: Canine Reproduction Certificate of Completion
A 65% or better must be achieved in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.
About The Instructor
Jeff Grognet has been a companion animal veterinarian for 25 years. He was a pioneer in the field of veterinary assistant teaching, developing his first course almost 20 years ago. The overwhelming success of his veterinary receptionist/assistant college courses led him to expand his teaching into other areas in high demand, including pet first aid and alternative medical therapies for companion animals. He practices with his wife at a Veterinary Hospital in BC, Canada. Jeff has published a large and diverse number of articles and is a regular contributing author to several magazines.
This course is an online course.
A new session of this course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you’re encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Requirements
There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrollment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.
Other requirement
• Internet access
• Email
• One of the following browsers:
o Mozilla Firefox
o Microsoft Internet Explorer (9.0 or above)
o Google Chrome
o Safari
• Adobe PDF plug-in (a free download obtained at Adobe.com)
The only other requirement is an interest in responsible breeding practices that promote the health of breeding dogs and their puppies.
“Doc, I really enjoyed this class and learned more than I ever imagined. thanks, Evelyn I plan to breed my dog soon so this class was very helpful and informative. I will be using what I learned in this course to assist me during the upcoming breeding process.”
“I enjoyed this course and I also put some of my knowledge to work last week when I took my bulldog in to see if she was ready to breed. I told my vet I was taking a class, and he let me make a decision on her progress. Then, he told me I was actually correct.”
“I have really enjoyed this class. I have been in the dog industry for over 50 years and with this course I learned things that I never knew. Thank you for offering this class.”
“I hope to become a Veterinary Assistant as a second career after I retire from teaching elementary school in two years. This class was very interesting to me and easy to fit into my busy schedule. I enjoyed Dr. Jeff’s teaching style, presenting basic information clearly and concisely and then giving resources for further investigation.”
“I really enjoyed the class. I thought the lessons were interesting and informative. The stlye was great. I found Jeff’s writing to be very entertaining. I will be signing up for more classes soon! I have already recommended this class to other breeders. Thank you!”
“This course was very helpful. I have bred my Golden Retriever twice, luckily with little or no complications. I feel that if I’m going to be a serious breeder I need courses like this one to know what to do. I will be taking Becoming a Veterinary Assistant also.”
“Wonderful course, I feel more confident in beginning breeding my dogs. Thank you for providing such a great opportunity to learn about veterinary care online.”
“This course gave me the insight I needed to pursue dog breeding, and a lot of information that I was unaware of as a dog owner. I feel much more confident as a dog owner knowing the signs of things which can effect older dogs, not just puppies.”
“This is an amazing course that offers a vast amount of information about caring for you own animals and others that I don’t believe can be given in any other program, especially for the price.”
“This class was formed in such a way that all of the information could easily be processed and learned within a short time. Dr. Jeff and all of his staff helped to answer any questions we had, or just simply give feedback on our assignment answers, which allowed us to dig more into research. I thought it was well worth my time!”
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