TECH167-0812: Basic Reptile Nursing Care - Continual Education

TECH167-0812: Basic Reptile Nursing Care

INSTRUCTOR(S): Jenni Jenkins-Perez, LVT, CVT

COURSE OPEN: August 8-September 15, 2012

REAL TIME SESSIONS (RTS): Wednesdays, August 15, 22, 29, and September 5, 2012; 9:00pm-10:30pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter
Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a Practice Session prior to the first Real Time Session. Please arrive promptly at the start time; each Practice Session is up to 1 hour in length. For more information, please visit the CE Practice Area https://www.vin.com/Link.plx?ID=5384048

* The instructor for this course will be using audio which will require you to have a headset or speakers to listen. If you have any concerns regarding your computer's audio capabilities, please be sure to attend a Practice Session.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course is designed for the veterinary technician who occasionally sees a reptile patient in practice or has an interest in learning about reptile nursing care.
VSPN CE Course. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinary technicians only.
** A portion of this course will be an audio presentation. Please be prepared to listen.

Course Description:
The course will cover basic reptile anatomy and physiology and how it differs from mammalian patients. Husbandry, husbandry-related disorders, and common non-nutritional disorders will be covered from the nursing perspective. Proper history taking, the physical examination, and how to properly set up the reptilian hospital ward for hospitalized patients will be discussed. Hospital nursing care will include medication administration, phlebotomy, fluid therapy, and handling common emergencies of the reptile patient. This course will focus on the more commonly seen reptiles and touch on a few less commonly seen.

This course consists of four (4) ninety (90) minute Real Time Sessions, supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, a mandatory end-of-course test, and may include online multiple choice quizzes (after each Real Time Session). Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to be considered for a course certificate of completion.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to

discuss the unique anatomy and physiology and how it impacts the course of treatment of the reptile patient.
record an adequate history of the reptile patient including the patient's husbandry history.
recognize the different locations and understand the techniques for medication administration, phlebotomy, and fluid therapy of the reptile patient.
explain the common disorders of reptiles including nutritional disorders.
recognize common emergencies of the reptile patient.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.

Required Texbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Instructor: Jenni Jenkins-Perez has years of experience with various reptile species ranging from anoles to Nile crocodiles in both zoo/aquarium practice and private practice. Currently, she is a part-time veterinary technician for a veterinary specialty practice and a consultant for a new veterinary technology program in central Florida.

Course Outline:
Week 1 (Real Time Session August 15): Anatomy and Physiology, Husbandry, History Taking, and the Physical Exam
Content: This session will include the discussion of reptilian anatomy and physiology and how it pertains to the course of treatment of the reptile patient. Also covered this week includes the basic husbandry of certain snake, lizard/iguana, and chelonian species. The final portion of this session covers proper history taking and the physical examination of the reptilian patient.

Week 2 (Real Time Session August 22): Common Disorders of the Reptile Patient
Content: This week's session will include husbandry and nutritional related disorders such as metabolic bone disease, hypovitaminosis A, shell rot, and aural abscesses. Other non-nutritional related disorders covered this week include parasitism, inclusion body disease, and ophthalmic diseases. Clinical signs and the technician's role in the care of patients with these disorders will be emphasized during this session.

Week 3 (Real Time Session August 29): Caring for the Hospitalized Patient, Part I
Content: This week's session will cover the basics of what to do when the reptile patient is hospitalized. Topics discussed include how to set up the hospitalized patient cage, phlebotomy, parenteral and oral medication administration, fluid therapy, tube/assist feeding, bandaging, and obtaining various samples.

Week 4 (Real Time Session September 5): Caring for the Hospitalized Patient, Part II
Content: This session includes caring for the critically ill hospitalized reptile and reptile emergencies. Topics discussed include the more common emergencies seen in practice such as thermal burns, hit by car (HBC) wild reptiles, and reptiles attacked by prey items or the family pet. Other reptile emergencies covered may include hypocalcemia, gastrointestinal obstruction, dystocia, pneumonia, prolapse, toxicity, and hypo/hyperthermia. The focus will include the veterinary technician's role in the event of the above listed emergencies.

CE HOURS: 6

Tuition: $120 ($108 early bird if registered by July 25, 2012).
*Students currently enrolled in and taking at least 2 classes or 5 units at an AVMA accredited or CAAHT approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
** To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first Real Time Session unless otherwise noted. If the first Real Time Session is on a weekend, course will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

**For more on how online CE works see the Participant Resource Center

Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org). Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Note: "This course has been submitted for RACE approval for 6 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education." Call VSPN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information. (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN/VSPN office 1-800-700-INFO (4636) to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.
**Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

** For More Information on VSPN's upcoming CE Courses, check out https://www.vin.com/CE/VSPN/VSPN_M02231.htm

Nanette R. Walker Smith, M.Ed., RVT, CVT, LVT
VSPN Content Director & VSPN CE Director

VSPN CE Services: VSPNCE@vspn.org
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org), ext 193
Chris Upchurch (Chris@vspn.org); ext 197
Darci Palmer (Darci@vspn.org); ext 179
Debbie Bess (DBess@vspn.org); ext 178
Jennifer Withrow (Jennifer@vspn.org); ext 159
Barb Burri (Barb@vspn.org); ext 764
Nanette Walker Smith (Nanette@vspn.org); ext 187

800.700.4636 | CEonVIN@vin.com | 530.756.4881 | Fax: 530.756.6035
777 West Covell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616
Copyright 2000, Veterinary Information Network, Inc.