- Preparation for Veterinary Careers: an Intensive Animal Experience - Animal Care Institute at SUNY Cobleskill
COURSE MODULES
Modules will begin at 10:30am, with a ½ hr break for lunch. They will conclude at 2 pm. A lecture and laboratory experience will be provided for each of these modules. Be prepared to get your hands into some interesting things!
The modules will be presented as such:
Four modules in the first week. (Tuesday - Friday)
Five modules each week in the remaining weeks.
(Monday - Friday)
Module Topics
1. Animal behavior and safety
Before handling animals that one might never have had experience with, learn how they perceive the world. In this workshop you will learn how livestock perceive the world, how they respond to stimuli and how to work with these animals in a way to keep them, as well as you, safe and unharmed.
2.
Basic Large Animal Health
We begin to build the animal medic kit, and use some of the contents in this introductory workshop. Taking basic TPR's, common ailments, and procedures that veterinarians commonly are called to farms for will be covered.
3.
Vaccinations and Delivery of Medications to large animals
Understand the production animal (livestock) and the recreational animal (equine) industries need for safety in handling of vaccines, delivery methods and repercussions of incorrect routes of administration. Opportunity to practice the different routes of administration will be provided.
4.
Identifying Feeds and Analysis of Feed Stuffs
Knowledge of feeds that are common in animal rations is important to maintaining health and keeping animals productive and reproductive. Categories of feeds will be presented together with an analysis of grain and hay to understand the general quality of these types of feeds.
5.
Pasture Management
The north east has a tremendous resource in forage crops, and pasture is commonly utilized as nutrition for all classes of livestock and equines. In this session, we will review the basic methods of maintaining pastures, how to improve pastures, and also recognize signs of parasites commonly afflicting pastured livestock.
6.
Fecal Analysis and Treatments
Basic fecal flotation will be conducted on samples of feces from various animals on campus. Identification of organisms under microscopic analysis, determination of products to deliver to the animals will be completed. Discussion also on helminthic resistance to the 3 families of dewormers, and the challenges that this phenomenon presents to production animal agriculture will be also occur.
7.
Feeding Dairy Cattle
A complex relationship exists between cows and microorganisms. In this session, participants will learn from an industry representative who daily formulates rations the strategies to provide cows with optimal nutrition to maintain and improve health, along with allowing them to produce milk to their fullest potential.
8.
Feeding Livestock
Livestock consists of monogastrics and ruminants - learn how they differ in feed consumption, how different feeding regimes or rations can effect animal carcass quality and characteristics, and learn basic ration balancing in this dynamic session (beef, sheep, goats and swine)
9.
Feeding Equines
The equine industry has a diverse group of animal athletes and production animals that have differing nutritional needs. Learn the needs of the equine for basic nutrition, why different groups of horses are fed differently, and become aware of products currently on the market that can enhance a horse's abilities and/or health.
10.
Milking dairy animals
Review the basic protocol of milking dairy cows in a large farm scenario. Emphasis will cover the protocol for milking cows to maintain a healthy herd and quality milk. Discussion of mastitis; including prevention, diagnosis and treatment will presented.
11.
Hoof care and management - dairy cattle
As livestock animals are managed in intensive environments, a greater need for the maintenance of hooves has emerged. Dairy cattle hoof health will be discussed, with anatomy and physiology examined in detail, with some hands on trimming activity.
12.
Hoof Care and management - equines
The equine hoof is the base for a productive and useful horse. However, such a small area supports a tremendous amount of weight and absorbs much stress. Basic hoof health and trouble shooting hoof problems (and also leg problems that can be influenced) will be addressed in this workshop.
13.
Artificial Insemination in cattle
The majority of cattle in the dairy industry are bred using artificial insemination, and a growing number of beef are also being bred using this technology. In this session, breeding methods (synchronizing, protocols) and the anatomy of the reproductive tract will be covered.
14.
Fresh cow management and calf care
Critical to the success of the cow during her lactation, as well as the productive life of her calf is the care and management both receive in the pre-parturient and post-parturient time frame. Protocols recommended and implemented at SUNY Cobleskill will be stressed, with actual hands on activities in observing cow and calf health will be conducted.
15.
Treatment and therapy of minor horse injuries
As the overall health of the horse is important to its utility as a recreational animal, one of the most common problems that interferes with work are minor injuries. Learn how to recognize, treat and provide therapy for these common injuries. Leg bandaging will be taught.
16.
Small Ruminant Care and Management
A yearly management calendar will be presented, taking you through the college's management schedule of our sheep and goats. Hands on activities of shearing, clipping, hoof trimming, vaccination, deworming, dehorning, docking, castration may be demonstrated and conducted by participants (depending upon availability of animals)
17.
Poultry Care and Management
Green eggs and ham! They really do exist! Learn the basics of managing laying and meat birds. The proper handling, identification of common health problems, and poultry behavior will be emphasized, in addition to learning some basic industry facts and figures.
18.
Animal Harvest and Gross Anatomy
SUNY Cobleskill has a tremendous resource in its Meat Processing Facility. Observe an animal humanely processed for human consumption under USDA inspection. Have the opportunity to inspect the different animal systems in the healthy animal- and investigate how the internal structures of the animal are formed and work in the body.
19.
A reflection back on the workshops and the kit
An opportunity to review and reinforce the previous 18 workshops and time for questions and answers. Review the competency sheets and determine the extent of activities completed in the workshops. Evaluation of each workshop.
