VET316 Production Animal Medicine

Credits (ECTS):17

Course responsible:Erik Georg Bø-Granquist

Teaching language:Norsk

Course frequency:Yearly

Nominal workload:Normally up to 37,5 hours per week, in addition to preparations and tasks. The number of patients and available consultations may vary during the seasons which may lead to variable work loads.

Teaching and exam period:Look at the semester plan

About this course

  • Medical disorders in production animals
  • Surgical disorders in production animals
  • Obstetric disorders, periparturient diseases and diseases in new born animal in production animals
  • Ambulatory practice in production animals 
  • Herd health in production animals
  • Poultry Medicine

Learning outcome

Provide students with theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in disease developement, diagnostics, treatment and preventive veterinary medicine in production animals, including poultry. 

After completing the course the student should:

  • Show respect for animals and humans and have an understanding of owners' relationships with the animals
  • Be familiar with animals' welfare needs
  • Emphasize economic considerations
  • Work independently
  • Communicate and collaborate with animal owners and colleagues and other professionals
  • Gather and assess expert information
  • Know their professional limitations and seek help when needed.
  • Render knowledge of important diseases, diagnostic tools and treatment methods in common species
  • Adopt anamnesis and obtain relevant information about the herd
  • Handle animals in a safe manner
  • Perform clinical examination and evaluate findings
  • Take relevant samples and interpret test results
  • Set up a relevant list of differential diagnoses and suggest a diagnosis
  • Assess prognosis
  • Perform or suggest treatment
  • Provide emergency assistance, including obstetrics
  • Assess the need for and apply principles of herd health diagnostics
  • Suggest preventive measures in production animal herds
  • Write detailed journals, reports and certificates that meet applicable regulations
  • Implement  hygiene and biosecurity measures
  • Be aware of the importance of food safety in the food chain
  • Prevent zoonoses
  • Teaching takes place in groups during a week in the 8th semester, additionally there is a half day small ruminant teaching in Sandnes in 9th semester. The course focuses on practical use of herd/flock health data to facilitate herd/flock visits (dairy, pig and poultry farms). Evaluation of the week is a written report.

    Medicine/Surgery 

    Instruction provided on the  clinic includes internal medicine and surgical disorders in cattle, small ruminants and pigs. Each student is a total of 3 weeks at this clinic in  8th and 9th semester, in addition to one week (half day) i the 7th semester. Students will be given patients who they will examine and treat, and under guidance they will even perform surgeries on animals. 

    Obstetrics

    The subject is teached in the ambulatory clinic, and to some extent in the medicine/surgery clinic. I

    Reproduction 

    Undervisningen omfatter reproduksjonsfysiologi, gynekologi, andrologi og reproduksjonsendokrinologi. Undervisningen gis dels ved instituttets stasjonærklinikker og dels ved SHF og ute i besetninger. Hver student er til sammen 2 uker på denne klinikken (1 +1 i henholdsvis 8. og 9. semester). På Institutt for Produksjonsdyrmedisin undervises det i reproduksjon på storfe, småfe og gris og eksamen i reproduksjon inngår i eksamen i Produksjonsdyrmedisin. På SportFaMed undervises det i reproduksjon hos hund, katt og hest, men dette eksamineres i smådyr-og hesteeksamen i vet315

    Teaching includes reproductive physiology, gynecology, andrology nad reproductive endocrinology. Instruction is provided partly at the department's production animal clinics and partly on livestock visits. Each student is a total of 2 weeks at this clinic (1 +1 in respectively 8th and 9th semester). In this clinic, the reproduction of cattle, small ruminants and swine is covered, and will be part of the examination in production animal medicine.  

    Ambulatory Activity

    The ambulatory clinic serves livestock farms in 7 municipalities  nearby Oslo in addition to NMBUs herds at Ås. Students receive training in ambulatory practice  and herd health management. The course lasts for three weeks in 8th and 9th semester.

    Herd health

    Teaching takes place in the form of herd visits (dairy and swine) and preparation, followed by the submission of a written report. Teaching lasts for 1 week per student and takes place during the 8th semester, plus 1/2 day on small ruminants in the 9. semester.

    Poultry Medicine

    Instruction is provided in the form of lectures in the 6th semester and 1 day in livestock medicine in 8th semester. The autopsy in poultry in the mixed clinical rotation in 8th semester is mandatory. Students are responsible for making sure to contact the course coordinator so that it is possible to re-take this during the current semester. Otherwise, it must be retaken the next year. The student will not get a valid grade in this subject until the autopsy is taken.

    Propeadeutic Course and Introduction to Diagnostic Work and Pathology

    See 6th and 7th semester. Themes from this teaching will also be examined at the clinical examination in 9th semester.

  • See Canvas VET316 V23 for more information
  • Completed minimum 166,5 ECTS after third year at the program.
  • Programme Requirements:

    Students must pass each clinical period and ensure that documentation is completed. Regulations and forms are found in the document: "Clinical Validation 8th and 9th semester". To pass the clinical period, the student must have been sufficiently present and shown to possess widely acceptable professional and ethical standards.

    Notice from the doctor must be handed to the study department in order to have documented abscense.  Students who have not passed the clinical period will not be allowed to take the exam.

    Students who have not passed the clinical period will not be allowed to take the exam.

    Practical / oral examination in Production Animal Clinical Science: The exam consist of a clinical examination and an oral examination. Two  examination stations are used; candidates have a clinical exam either in the field of medicine /surgery or reproduction/ obstetrics and an oral  examination in the other field or in herd health/ livestock medicine or  poultry medicine. Groups up to 8 students are examined on one day. The examination is individual. An overall grade is given for the entire exam. If the average grade is not a whole grade, the grade in the clinical examination shall count most. A fail in the first part will cause the student to be disqualified from taking the second part of the examination. 

  • In addition to an internal examiner  there is also an external sensor taking part in both the clinical and oral part of the examination.
  • Courses and clinical service is mandatory. Weekend and night shifts are mandatory. Detailed information available in separat document on Canvas. 

    Poultry autopsy in the mixed clinical rotation: see the rules under poultry medicine.

  • Requirements for personal equipment:

    Work clothes,  stethoscope and nameplate. Overalls and boots are provided in the clinics.

    HMS and biosecurity:

    Quarantine after stays abroad:  Contact the staff/ head of clinic in advance. General guidelines: if students have been in contact with livestock abroad, they must wait minimum 48 hours before they have access to the production animal clinics or other livestock, and minimum 72 hours if they have been in countries with severe contagious diseases. There are additional guidelines for prevention of MRSA/ LA-MRSA.

    There are separate infection control sluices by the entrance to the clinics. Overalls, gloves and boots are available in the clinics and at farm visits.  Students are encouraged to wear gloves when handling medicines and other risk material or allergens and when handling animals suspected of being infected by a zoonosis.

    "Rules for handling large production animals and horses at NMBU Veterinary university" and "Basic rules regarding handling of animals" are avialable at Canvas. A first aid kit is available. Fire Training is provided in the clinics.

    Medical/ Surgical Clinic: Clinic Procedures are discussed orally at the first visit (see Canvas). 

    Reproduction: Gloves are used when examining organs from slaughterhouses. Gloves are used in the examination of animals and one must change gloves for each animal.

    The Ambulatory clinic has created its own safety procedures (see Canvas). These are reviewed orally at the beginning of 8th semester.

    Pregnant women should inform the teacher and take the necessary precautions

    Absence:

    A maximum of one day of valid and documented absences per week is allowed. It is not possible to accumulate days. Valid absences beyond this must be re-taken in accordance with the Head of Section's instructions / Head of clinic.

    The reason is that this is skill training necessary for professional practice.

    Students will not be able to take the exam until the missing time in the clinics is re-taken.

  • Intentionally 35 hours/week (may vary)
  • VET

    TIL2

  • Letter grades
  • Admitted to the Veterinary Medicine Program and completed minimum 166,5 ECTS after third year at the program.