VETERINARY SHELTER MEDICINE AND PATIENT CARE

VET3VSM

2020

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

In this subject, students will learn how to plan and manage the behavioural, husbandry and health care needs of animals living within an animal welfare shelter, to achieve positive animal welfare outcomes and compliance with the Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds. Topics covered in relation to the animal shelter include: animal welfare and ethics, relevant legislation, animal behaviour and husbandry, and shelter-specific medicine. Using an evidence-based approach, students will review the design and management practices of a shelter they have visited or undertaken placement at, in order to recommend changes and/or improvements. Students will also learn how to present an evidence-based argument regarding a contentious area in animal welfare and ethics. Through their shelter visits and placements, students will be exposed to the emotional and physical challenges faced by staff that work within animal welfare shelters, and will come to learn how to maximise staff well-being within these environments.

School: Life Sciences (Pre 2022)

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Dilhani Premaratna

Available to Study Abroad/Exchange Students: No

Subject year level: Year Level 3 - UG

Available as Elective: No

Learning Activities: N/A

Capstone subject: No

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: Must be admitted into SBVN and have passed VET2IAN and VET2PVN.

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: N/A

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Quota Management Strategy: N/A

Quota-conditions or rules: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Minimum credit point requirement: N/A

Assumed knowledge: N/A

Learning resources

Animal Welfare in Veterinary Practice

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Prescribed

Author: Yeates, J.

Year: 2013

Edition/Volume: N/A

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell.

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Shelter Medicine for Veterinarians and Staff

Resource Type: Book

Resource Requirement: Prescribed

Author: Miller, L. & Zawistowski, S.

Year: 2013

Edition/Volume: 2nd Edition

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell.

ISBN: N/A

Chapter/article title: N/A

Chapter/issue: N/A

URL: N/A

Other description: N/A

Source location: N/A

Career Ready

Career-focused: Yes

Work-based learning: Yes

Self sourced or Uni sourced: Self Sourced

Entire subject or partial subject: Partial subject

Total hours/days required: 45 hours

Location of WBL activity (region): Flexible

WBL addtional requirements: N/A

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

Graduate Capabilities

Intended Learning Outcomes

01. Argue the complexities of the animal shelter world in order to maximise welfare and ethical outcomes for at-risk animals
02. Appraise relevant legislation to make recommendations about its appropriate application to animal shelter medicine
03. Critically evaluate animal shelter design and management
04. Compare and contrast the health, husbandry and behavioural requirements of animals in a shelter environment and those in general veterinary practice
05. Develop plans to maximize clinical staff wellbeing in an animal shelter environment

Epping (Melbourne Polytechnic), 2020, Semester 2, Blended

Overview

Online enrolment: Yes

Maximum enrolment size: N/A

Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Dilhani Premaratna

Class requirements

Placement - Off SiteWeek: 31 - 43
Six 7.50 hours placement - off site per study period on any day including weekend during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via face-to-face.
WIL Placement. Roster-dependent.

Unscheduled Online ClassWeek: 31 - 43
One 1.00 hour unscheduled online class per week on any day including weekend during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via online.
Delivered as reading material, quizzes, video clips.

WorkShopWeek: 31 - 43
One 5.00 hours workshop every two weeks on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via blended.
Fortnightly workshops on campus

Assessments

Assessment elementCommentsCategoryContributionHurdle%ILO*

5 x 10 min pre-workshop online quizzes (850 words equivalent)4% eachFortnightly

N/AN/AN/ANo20SILO1, SILO2, SILO3, SILO4, SILO5

15 minute team oral animal shelter debate (500 words/ student)Teams of 3 studentsStudent teams to argue an ethical and/or welfare issue related to shelter medicine in a debate style (5 minutes per student, equivalent to 500 essay words per student)

N/AN/AN/ANo10SILO1, SILO2

1600 word animal shelter evaluation reportStudents visit a number of animal welfare shelters, and select one to critically evaluate. Individual confidential report - critical evaluation of a welfare shelter, including recommendations for future improvements (1600 words).Students visit a number of animal welfare shelters, and select one to critically evaluate.

N/AN/AN/ANo40SILO2, SILO3, SILO4

1200 word written wellbeing planStudents to develop a plan to manage the wellbeing of the shelter team in a clinical shelter environment (1200 words)

N/AN/AN/ANo30SILO5