Veterinary Sciences | Micro-Credentials

The Dairy Cattle Health Production Medicine and Software (Dairy Cattle I) micro-credential was designed by:

• Dr. Ray Reynan, past President of the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners and Canadian Association of Bovine Practitioners
• Wayne Shewfelt, past President of Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners and former winner of the prestigious American Association of Bovine Practitioners Dairy Veterinary of the Year Award

Successful candidates will be able to function independently and confidently as part of a veterinary service delivery team.

This micro-credential is offered online with farm school assessments in Haileybury, Ontario.

Upcoming Farm School Dates

Specific dates to be announced.

Modules in this Micro-Credential

Stockmanship:
Learn about herd and animal behavior, handle cattle with personal safety,and in a way that minimizes animal stress.

Dairy Industry:
This module will introduce the structure of the supply management system for dairy production, including an introduction to how milk checks are calculated and managed by producers.

Life of a Dairy Cow:
Review the life cycle of a dairy cow from birth to herd removal. Particular focus on the impacts and assessment of the cow environment, from stall design to ventilation.

Udder Health/Milk Quality and Mastitis:
Gain techniques to troubleshoot milk quality issues from the collection of farm data, cleanliness, and aseptic samples. The successful candidate will be capable of establishing an in-clinic milk culturing laboratory within a traditional veterinary hospital.

Reproduction/Manipulation of Cycles and Breeding:
This unit explores the reproductive physiology of the modern dairy cow, including breeding synchronization protocols, use of computer software in tracking herd reproductive performance, and the role of technicians in both data entry and report preparation for dairy veterinarians.

Nutrition:
This module explores shaker boxes, audits, evaluating feed samples, and reading a feed tag.

Transition Cow Management:
Learn to use various computer software and monitoring programs in detection of transition cow disorders. Formally capture herd data such as body condition scoring and BHB sampling to assist in in this capacity.

Dairy Software:
Learn to run Dairycomp software. Prepare and interpret reports on milk production, reproduction, and health events.

Placement

Candidates are expected to arrange an approximately 40-hour volunteer placement at an approved veterinary clinic. The clinic should have at least 1 veterinarian who is currently a member of the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (or suitable alternative if out-of-province) on staff. There is a detailed list of skills and cattle assessments that the candidate will be required to perform during their placement.

The days do not need to be consecutive. The placement could be a: 1 day every few weeks format, provided all the required work is completed.

The intention of the placement is to provide a one-to-one learning experience with either a veterinary or veterinary technician mentor.

Applications & Registration

We are now taking applications into this program. After your application information is reviewed, you will be sent a registration link for the program.

Cost: $1,500.00

APPLY HERE

This course is intended for veterinary technicians who wish to gain knowledge and experience in the delivery of dairy calf health programs.

This micro-credential focuses on the first six months of a dairy calf’s life. It covers the immediate neonatal period, colostrum assessment and management, environmental management, and preventative health strategies for commonly encountered issues. Particular attention is paid to health monitoring and growth programs, which can easily be incorporated into a dairy practice. 

The course includes approximately 50 hours of asynchronous online instruction, 40 hours of placement completing required tasks, and 3 days of farm field school at the conclusion.

Upcoming Farm School Dates

Specific dates to be announced.

Placement

Candidates are expected to arrange approximately 40 hours of volunteer placement at an approved clinic.

Applications & Registration

We are now taking applications into this program. After your application information is reviewed, you will be sent a registration link for the program.

Cost: $850.00

APPLY HERE

This micro-credential course will cover the basic structure of the beef cattle industry in Ontario and was designed to take advantage of the recent changes to the Veterinarians Act. Common diseases, cattle handling, and hands on performance of technical procedures and sampling form the basis of material. This course is intended for RVTs or VTs who have an interest in beef cattle. Non-credentialed technicians with at least a year of practical experience and who are currently employed in a veterinary practice are also encouraged to apply.

This micro-credential was designed by Gabriel Jantzi, the 2023-24 President of the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners and a practicing veterinarian with Metzger Veterinary Services in Chelsey, Ontario.

Successful candidates will be able to function independently and confidently as part of a veterinary service delivery team.

These micro-credentials are offered online through approximately 60 hours of instruction and 2 ½ day in-person farm school assessments in Haileybury, Ontario.

Upcoming Farm School Dates

Specific dates to be announced.

Modules in this Micro-Credential

Module 1: This module covers safety in working with beef cattle, including handling, restraint, and performing a physical examination.

Module 2: This module introduces the Ontario beef industry and several common feedlot scenarios.

Module 3: Common procedures. Invasive and non-invasive procedures both on farm and in-clinic are discussed in this module. Blood collection, medication administration, and necropsy are covered.

Module 4: The current status of telemedicine, transportation of cattle regulations, and euthanasia are the primary topics.

Module 5: Processing beef calves. This unit discuses common vaccination programs, implanting and castration of stocker cattle.

Placement

Candidates are expected to arrange approximately 40 hours of volunteer placement at an approved veterinary clinic. The clinic should have at least 1 veterinarian who is currently a member of the Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners (or suitable alternative if out-of-province) on staff. There is a detailed list of skills and cattle assessments that the candidate will be required to perform during their placement.

The days do not need to be consecutive. The placement could be a: 1 day every few weeks format, provided all the required work is completed.

The intention of the placement is to provide a one-to-one learning experience with either a veterinary or veterinary technician mentor.

Applications & Registration

We are now taking applications into this program. After your application information is reviewed, you will be sent a registration link for the program.

Cost: $1,500.00

APPLY HERE

This micro-credential course will go over the basic structure of the swine industry, as well as companion animal swine. The course will cover common diseases, surgeries, and how to handle swine for procedures and sampling.

This course is intended for RVTs or VTs who have an interest in swine. Non-credentialed technicians with at least a year of practical experience and who are currently employed in a veterinary practice are also encouraged to apply.

Developed by swine veterinarian, Dr. Sue Burlatschenko, who has taught and worked with trusted and valuable Registered Veterinary Technicians who have been critical to the success of her clinic’s pig care services.

Registered Veterinary Technicians have been part of veterinary care (in larger practices) on pig farms for some years now. The Registered Veterinary Technicians’ role evolved as consolidation of both farms and veterinary practices took place.

Today RVTs ‘stand on the shoulders’ of those Registered Veterinary Technicians who supported veterinarians to provide health care to farms. Your role as a member of the veterinary care team on a pig farm has evolved and can now include many new tasks such as blood testing, sample collection, and laboratory work in-clinic, as well as clinical pet pig assistance. The list continues to evolve.

This micro-credential will increase your skills to position you as a very valuable member of the veterinary care team for swine.

The course has been designed to not only deliver information but more importantly designed to provide you with assignments that give you opportunity to perform the tasks and have the confidence to perform your tasks when assigned to you by the herd veterinarian.

This micro-credential is offered online through approximately 60 hours of instruction with farm school assessments over a two-day period with one day in Timmins, and the other in Haileybury, Ontario.

Upcoming Farm School Dates

Specific dates to be announced.

Modules in this Micro-Credential

Module 1: Introduction to the Swine Industry
Units cover terminology, industry, National Farm Animal Codes of Practice, swine module parts, breeds, vet-client relationship,

Module 2: Components of Herd Health
Units cover pig behaviour and handling, reproduction, housing, feeding and environment.

Module 3: Approaching Herd Health and Disease
Units cover biosecurity, herd health, common diseases, sample collection, diagnostic testing, and components of a postmortem.

Module 4: Foreign Animal Diseases
Unit will cover how to identify and describe major features of swine foreign animal diseases including ASF, foot and mouth, and other vesicular diseases.

Module 5: Euthanasia
Unit will cover how to describe accepted methods of euthanasia for various classes of swine and will explain and demonstrate the safe use of a captive-bolt gun.

Module 6: Pet Pigs
Units include general pig care, pet pig health, Behaviour and Training, Pet Pig Illnesses, Surgical Procedures.

Applications & Registration

We are now taking applications into this program. After your application information is reviewed, you will be sent a registration link for the program.

Cost: $1,500.00

APPLY HERE