This unit provides opportunities for the student to understand and apply basic principles in veterinary practice management. The focus is upon small animal practice and this is enhanced through continued Education Support Practice visits. In addition, students will further explore professional practice themes of animal welfare, communication and personal development. During this unit of study, students are also required to successfully complete an Independent Learning Project which must be submitted by the end of semester teaching.

This unit has been designed to extend knowledge obtained during Year 1 units in Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology and explore some mechanisms of animal dysfunction. It also deals with new topics in animal structure and function, particularly the nervous system, and covers the anatomy of common domestic bird species, with an emphasis on the chicken. The unit focuses on the nervous system and senses, how loss of structure and function causes signs of dysfunction, and development of skills used to recognize normal and abnormal animals. Students will learn through dissection, problem solving and will be assessed on ability to apply and use their knowledge and development of generic skills. Neurophysiology and neuroanatomy are integrated, and students will learn how neural function is determined by the neural structures and their connections. Students will apply the principles covered in these topics to examine, describe, interpret and explain how animals perceive their environment, process and store information and respond with voluntary and involuntary activities. The primary focus will be on normal animals, however specific lesions will be used to demonstrate the role of components of the nervous system in normal function. The skills and knowledge acquired during this unit will be further used and developed in units of study in years 2-5 of the course and will provide a basis for analysis of animals with abnormal neurological function in medicine. The unit also covers avian anatomy and aspects of applied cardiovascular and exercise physiology, thermoregulation and integument. Tutorials and formative assessments on webct will be used to assist learning.