New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care (Companion Animals)

• Personal effectiveness: self-management; time management, stress management, self- confidence, personal presentation, self-awareness, personal sustainability, and cultural awareness
  
• Workplace and personal hazards in terms of personal and job safety
  
• Personal responsibilities, avoiding and reporting accidents
  
• Acts and Legislation relating to the workplace 
  
• Safe working practices at an animal facility 
  
• Function of cell components, cell division, osmosis and diffusion
  
• Body tissues: epithelial, connective, muscle, nervous
  
• Locate organs, organ systems and body cavities in dogs
  
• Understand basic functions of main organs
  
• Introduction to infection control methods and prevention of disease 
  
• Correct disposal of waste at an animal facility in accordance with sustainable practice, current legislation and local bylaws
  
• Introduction to cleaning and disinfection practices
  
• Identification of cleaning and disinfectant agents and their safe use
  
• Introduction to sustainable practice 
  
• Identification of common breeds of cats, dogs, rabbits and companion birds 
  
• Identification of age, sex and neuter status of a variety of species
  
• Animal body language and communication in relation to handler and animal safety and welfare
  
• Principles of low stress handling
  
• Animal Welfare Act, its principals and application
  
• Personal and professional ethics and cultural differences
  
• Integrative approaches to animal health; how environment, exercise, lifestyle and preventative healthcare impact on animal health and welfare

• Identifying areas where sustainable practices could be implemented or improved
  
• Self-management and interpersonal skills  
  
• Workplace and personal hazards in terms of personal and job safety
  
• Procedures for avoiding and reporting accidents 
  
• Acts and legislation relating to workplace practices in terms of personal responsibilities
  
• Safe working practices at an animal related facility 
  
• Correct storage and handling of hazardous materials to ensure safety of self and others at the facility
  
• Basic microbiology, structure and replication 
  
• Routes and transmission of disease
  
• Common infectious diseases in New Zealand in relation to companion animals
  
• Prevention of infectious disease including zoonotic disease
  
• Correct disposal of waste at an animal related facility in accordance with current legislation and local bylaws
  
• Effective cleaning and disinfection practices
  
• Properties of cleaning agents and disinfectants and their correct usage
  
• Maintaining feeding and grooming equipment in a clean and hygienic state
  
• Identification of diseases requiring animal isolation
  
• Understand isolation and barrier procedures to minimise the spread of infectious disease
  
• Interpersonal skills; teamwork, communication: face to face, telephone, electronic, written
  
• Self-management; time management, stress management, self- confidence, personal presentation, self-awareness, personal sustainability.
  
• Animal identification methods 
  
• Animal admissions and discharge procedures
  
• Maintenance of a reception area
  
• Record systems at an animal related facility
  
• Maintaining client confidentiality - data protection, acts and legislation, and personal responsibilities

• Evolutionary and social behaviour of species in relation to handling and husbandry
  
• Factors affecting behaviour – genotype, environment, learning
  
• Animal body language in relation to handler and animal safety and welfare
  
• Ways of minimising stress in the animal related facility
  
• Basic dog training; operant conditioning, the role of reward and punishment, house-training, basic obedience training skills
  
• Advice for simple behaviour problems; e.g. pulling on lead, jumping up, boisterousness, inappropriate toileting, etc.
  
• When a referral to a specialist animal behaviourist is required
  
• Evidence-based and up to date advice for simple behaviour problems 
  
• Safe handling considerations such as animal demeanour, environment, handler safety, procedure (groom, worm, walk, feed, flea treatment)
  
• Handling and restraint techniques: for a variety of different situations with a focus on using low-stress approaches and with consideration for health, injury, disease or physical conditions which may impact on animal’s welfare
  
• Restraint and control equipment and techniques: stretcher, collars, leads, muzzles, towels, carry cages, dog catcher pole, slip lead, double-leading,  distraction and engagement with toys, food
  
• Current legislation for transportation of small animals including documentation required and animal identification methods
  
• Welfare requirements for animals in transport: e.g. breed, age, health status, temperament, travelling container, restraint, stress reduction, food, water, medication, exercise
  
• Animal Welfare Act, its principals and application
  
• Relevant codes and guidelines in relation to the animal related facility
  
• Compare cultural differences toward pet ownership
  
• Current legislation (including local bylaws) pertaining to requirements for dog ownership and control
  
• Limitations regarding giving information and advice about animal welfare 
  
• Sources of further information and advice on animal welfare
  
• Personal and professional ethics
  
• Maintaining an animal facility in a clean and hygienic state according to facility procedures
  
• Work safely at an animal facility
  
• Maintaining feeding and grooming equipment
  
• Cleaning and disinfecting kennels, cages and the general environment
  
• Effective communication skills with customers and staff at an animal related facility
  
• Identifying, admiting and discharging an animal in an animal related facility
  
• Keeping accurate facility records according to facility procedures 
  
• Providing day-to-day care and husbandry to maintain the health and welfare of animals at an animal related facility; ie feeding, grooming, toileting and removal of waste, exercise, and enrichment
  
• Performing a basic health examination and reporting findings to a supervisor according to facility protocol
  
• Handling and transporting animals safely and effectively for routine purposes 
  
• Administering medications: oral, topical 
  

• Common breeds of cats, dogs, rabbits and companion birds
  
• Body condition score, age, sex and neuter status 
  
• Genetic traits (physical, behavioural and health) of common breeds of dog and cat, especially in relation to their preferred environment and suitability as pets
  
• Coat types and their grooming requirements to maintain optimal health for cats, dogs and rabbits
  
• Basic reproduction, parturition and care of neonates, and ethical considerations of breeding companion animals 
  
• Optimal environment with regard to: animal health, safety, hygiene and welfare; including materials, lighting, positioning, bedding materials, size and with consideration for natural habitat and behaviour (social, solitary, wide-ranging etc.) 
  
• Species-appropriate environmental enrichment for dogs, cats, rabbits and companion birds
  
• Appropriate nutrition for dogs, cats, rabbits and companion birds including life stage nutrition if applicable 

• Review function of cell components, cell division, osmosis and diffusion
  
• Review of body tissues: epithelial, connective, muscle, nervous
  
• Structure and function of skin, the skeletal system and special senses
  
• Location of organs, organ systems and body cavities in dogs, cats, companion birds and rabbits
  
• Components and basic function of major body systems; Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Lymphatic, Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive, Nervous, Endocrine
  
• Signs of health and ill health and appropriate action 
  
• Common diseases affecting cats, dogs, rabbits and companion birds
  
• Distance and hands-on basic animal examination to assess health status
  
• Record findings from a basic health examination and take appropriate action 
  
• Recording of accurate details of basic health examination according to facility procedure and act appropriately on findings
  
• Basic biological data and accurate records according to facility procedures
  
• Procedures required to maintain health and welfare, according to standard procedures; vaccinations, parasite control, administer oral and topical medications
  
• Integrative animal health and well-being; multifactorial influence of diet, environment, exercise, lifestyle and preventative healthcare on animal health and welfare
  
• Animals requiring extra care: pregnant, lactating, incontinent, aged, arthritic, breed specific health problems (brachycephalics, coat types) 
  
• Objectives and limitations of first aid
  
• Triage an animal to determine the extent of injury and first aid treatment required
  
• First aid advice for: Wounds, haemorrhage, shock, burns, choking, fractures, respiratory and cardiac arrest, poisoning, dystocia, foreign bodies, hyperthermia

For more information about NCEA Credits see UCOL's NCEA explained page.