Animal Behaviour & Welfare

Curriculum guideline

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Course
AHTT 2110
Discontinued
Yes
Course code
AHTT 2110
Descriptive
Animal Behaviour & Welfare
Department
Animal Health Technology
Faculty
Science & Technology
Credits
2.00
Start date
End term
Not Specified
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
30
Contact hours
3 hours/week: 1 x 2 hr lecture 1 x 1hr seminar
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Seminar
Learning activities

This course includes three hours of classroom instruction per week.

Course description
This course includes both the practical and theoretical study of relevant normal and problem behaviors of companion animals and client education. Discussions of ethical and welfare issues in both small, large and laboratory animals, and further practice in the safe nursing of aggressive and injured animals are also included in this course.

Enrollment is limited to students in the Animal Health Technology Program.
Course content
  1. Normal behavior for cats, dogs and some pocket pets.
  2. Emphasis on minimizing stress for patients during hospital visits and stays (calming signals, non-confrontational behaviors).
  3. Identifying and understanding body language in communication in both small and large animal species.
  4. Safe restraint with minimal stress.
  5. Common behavior problems in dogs -- barking, separation anxiety, fearfulness, compulsive behaviors, elimination problems.
  6. Common behavior problems in cats -- inappropriate elimination, aggression status- related aggression to people, compulsive behaviors.
  7. Common behavior problems in domestic animal species –eg. cribbing in horses, aggression, stereotypic behaviors.
  8. Behavior modifying medications -- an overview.
  9. Behavior management aids - types, their safe usage, and when to use.
  10. Animal welfare -- animal abuse; issues in domestic animal husbandry ( e.g. pen size, intensive farming practices, pain management); companion animal issues (neglect, tail docking, dewclaw removal, declawing in cats, “collectors” of pets, housing issues/veterinary billings)
Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

1.  read the body language of various species as it pertains to safe handling, case management and client education.

2. discuss normal developmental and typical feline behaviors, and further develop the skills introduced in Veterinary Care 1 in assessing canine behavior.  Management techniques for common behavioral problems in dog, cat, horse and other domestic species will become more familiar.

3.  understand certain normal behaviors in horses, cows, sheep, goats and pigs.

4.  understand and apply basic learning principles and behavior modification techniques. 

5.  discuss animal welfare issues in a thoughtful way.

Means of assessment

Midterms                                    20-30%

Seminar Presentations/Assign       20-40%

Attendance and Participation          10%

Final Exam                                  20-40%

                                                  100%

Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

  1.  McCurnin, D & Bassert,   J.M. Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians.  Elsevier Current ed. 
  2.  Case, Linda 2010 Canine and Feline Behavior and Training: a Complete Guide to Understanding Our Two Best Friends.  Delmar Learning.
Prerequisites

AHTT 1103 Veterinary Care 1