ATEC - Animal Science Tech Lecture/Lab

Veterinary Pharmacology explores the principles and applications of drug therapy in animals, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of how pharmaceuticals interact with biological systems across species. This course covers the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of major drug classes, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, adverse effects, and legal regulations surrounding veterinary medications. Students will learn to evaluate drug efficacy and safety, interpret prescriptions, and make informed decisions about treatment protocols for canine and feline patients. Emphasis is placed on pain management, anesthetics, antiparasitics, and endocrine therapies with case-based learning to reinforce clinical relevance.

This course introduces technical clinical aspects of laboratory animal care, including restraint and handling, common diseases, and nutrition. The animals studied include rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and primates. Also discussed are institutional animal care and use in research facilities, basic physiologic characteristics, reproduction, common diseases of laboratory animals, regulations pertaining to laboratory animal care, and organizations that regulate laboratory animal care.

This course familiarizes the student with normal canine and feline behavior including breed specific behaviors and drives, learning theory, and behavior modification techniques. Causes and treatment of behavioral issues, by pharmacologic and other methods, will also be discussed. A general overview of normal and abnormal equine and exotic animal behavior will be presented. This course will also cover the origins and evolution of dog and cats from breed types to nationally recognized breeds, including breeding conflicts and dilemmas and their short- and long-term effects on breed quality. The effects of breeding on behavior and the hypothetical future for many of our breeds will also be discussed.

This course introduces small animal infectious diseases and their treatments. Preventative medicine and vaccinations will be emphasized. Common disease states and treatments of ophthalmic, aural, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems will be introduced.

This course is designed to provide the student with competence in performing procedures related to the following subjects: Dermatology, Neurology, Cardiology, Respiratory, Reproduction, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Behavior, and Blood Transfusion Medicine. Skills learned in ATEC 2613 will be reinforced.

This course acquaints the student with the fundamentals of exotic pet husbandry, physiology, management, and medicine. Reptiles, birds, and exotic mammals will be emphasized. Fish and amphibians will be introduced.

This course introduces students to care and handling of laboratory animals, use of animals as research models, and the history and composition of and necessity for the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in controlling research practices. The roles of groups such as the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), and Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care international (AAALAC) will be discussed. Governmental control of laboratory animal research will also be discussed including the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR), and the roles of the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).