Fundamentals of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care 2025SP

This course is 100% online, asynchronous. Students should expect to commit 4-5 hours a week for successful course completion. Students with gain fundamental knowledge and skills to assist in small animal medical emergency and critical care facilities. Characteristics of skilled patient nursing care include managing patients with rapidly deteriorating medical and surgical illnesses, major trauma, and life-threatening disease. Personnel must be trained, knowledgeable, and proficient at addressing minute-to minute changes in status and condition. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians are valued members of the care team. With teamwork, training, and development of skills discussed in this course, emergent and critically ill animals can survive. 

 

This course is for veterinary continuing education for veterinary technicians and veterinarians. An AA or BS in veterinary technology, or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) is required to enroll. 

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• Successfully triage multiple emergencies at once to rank severity of illness for delivery of care

• Understand how to assess and manage dogs and cats with acute or life-threatening illness such as respiratory distress, shock, acute abdomen, multiple trauma, and cardiovascular disease

• Prepare and administer fluids and medication by constant rate administration

• Perform and interpret critical care diagnostic and monitoring tests such as pulse oximetry, end-title carbon dioxide, and blood gas parameters

• Communicate effectively with clients presenting animals with acute, life-threatening illness