Program Overview
Sprott Shaw College’s Veterinary Assistant students will be prepared to enter veterinary hospital and animal rescue settings with the skills necessary to conduct a wide variety of procedures including proper restraint of animals during veterinary examinations and immunizations, while meeting the maximum standards of animal welfare, ethics, and proper protocols of communication and office procedures and performing excellent customer care services.
By taking the Sprott Shaw College Veterinary Assistant program, students will develop skills that will prepare them for employment in a veterinary clinic, veterinary hospitals, shelter environment, animal emergency and critical care clinics, pet supplies stores, pet daycares, breeding kennels, boarding kennels, not-for-profit organisations, pet food companies, and pharmaceutical laboratories.
This unique veterinary assistant program is complemented by ongoing real-world experience through educational outings/observations, lab days, field day trips at regional shelters and veterinary clinics locations, and an integrated practicum experience.
Career Opportunities
- Veterinary hospitals and clinics
- Animal shelters
- Vet emergency, and critical care clinics
- Animal rescue organisations
- Wildlife rescue and rehab centres
- Pet day cares and boarding kennels
- Breeding kennels
- Farms
- Pet food companies
- Pharmaceutical laboratories
- Veterinary practice management offices
- Pet stores and groomers
Why Study at Sprott Shaw?
- Lifetime access to dedicated Employment Services Specialists (ESS) who can help you with resume and cover letter writing, interview skills, and the overall job search after graduation
- Lifetime tuition-free access to course refreshers if you ever need to retrain and update your skills
- Practicum opportunities with recognized organizations across BC including the Animal Emergency Clinic of the Fraser Valley, Island Veterinary Hospital, Garden City Veterinary Hospital, Lifetime Veterinary Clinic, and much more
- Multiple start dates so you can start your education when you want to without the wait
- All-inclusive program costs where what you see is what you pay. Our cost includes registration fees, assessment fees, tuition, textbooks, scrubs, graduation fees, practicum fees, and much more
- Preparation and orientation courses to teach you how to find credible research, write papers, create proper citation formats including APA, and study effectively for exams
- Career and professional development success courses to help create a career development marketing plan, learn the cardinal rules of professionalism, and identify the target markets and employment resources for the veterinary field
- Grant and scholarship opportunities are available to help you save on tuition. Up to $4000 in scholarships and grants are open to recent high school graduates, Sprott Shaw alumni, military veterans, and more! Click here to browse our full list of grants and scholarships.
Veterinary Assistant Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of the Veterinary Assistant certificate program, graduates will be able to:
- Document and record patient care using established guidelines and veterinary practice software.
- Restrain and manage patients safely in diverse clinical situations.
- Prepare for and assist during surgical procedures.
- Perform receptionist and bookkeeping duties.
- Promote good health by performing basic grooming skills.
- Demonstrate knowledge of preventative medicine.
- Understand basic veterinary terminology with applications to
- anatomy, physiology, and diseases;
- demonstrate familiarity with common surgical procedures;
- discuss important homecare instructions; and
- Assist veterinary technician during the following:
- taking radiograph
- administering anesthesia and during dental and surgical procedures
Learn more about becoming a Veterinary Assistant
Where Are Sprott Shaw Graduates Working?
Our Administration, Legal, and Hospitality graduates can be found working throughout the province. Graduates of our Administration programs are working in a diverse range of locations including the BC Cancer Agency and the Government of Canada.
Graduates of our Veterinary Assistant program can be found in various veterinary clinics such as the Central City Animal Hospital and the Panorama Village Animal Hospital.
Legal graduates can be found working in law firms and legal offices such as the Sea to Sky Law Office and Westside Family Law. Tourism and Hospitality graduates have been hired by Best Western, the Sandman Hotel Group, Grouse Mountain Tourism, and more.
Click below to learn more about where our graduates are currently working. Please note that these lists do not cover every single business that has hired a Sprott Shaw graduate, but they do provide a good representation of the sort of industries that Sprott Shaw graduates are working in.
Success Stories
- “I chose Sprott Shaw because not only was the staff extremely helpful at answering any of my questions, but the fact that I can go back and refresh any of my learning from my classes is what really sold me.” – Kaitlyn S.
Program Details
Admission Requirements:
Applicants must meet all of the pre-requisites listed below, meet their financial obligations to the college at registration, and acknowledge their understanding of SSC’s policies and procedures provided in the Student Handbook, before starting classes.
Note: Students are provided with a detailed list of books, e-resources, workshop/lab supplies, and lab/tool kits that are included in the program’s fees and will have the opportunity to opt in or out of purchasing from Sprott Shaw College or any other specific source any of these items at the time of registration.
Education Level
- Grade 12 or equivalent (GED, Adult Basic Education) with evidence of a ‘true certified copy’ or original transcript
- Mature student status (age 19 and one year out of high school)
Language Proficiency Policy:
All programs at Sprott Shaw College (SSC) are conducted in English, making proficiency in the English language a requirement for enrollment.
The required proficiency can be demonstrated through 1) completion of secondary or post-secondary education where English is the language of instruction and is also one of the country’s official languages, or 2) An approved English Language Assessment, 3) Graduation from Sprott Shaw Language College’s (SSLC) EPE: English for Post-Secondary Education program, or 4) For mature (≥ 19 years) students who are facing barriers and cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education.
SSC programs that have a higher English language level require additional years of secondary or post-secondary education where English is the language of instruction or where language proficiency is to be otherwise demonstrated, and are identified within the relevant program outlines.
For all other SSC programs, English language proficiency is demonstrated by:
1. Education
a) Secondary Education
Evidence of Successful Full-time Secondary Education Completion*, where English is one of the principal languages of instruction:
i) Showing two (2) years, if all Grades completed are 10, 11, or 12, or
ii) Showing three (3) years if the successful Grades are 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12
iii) Showing validation of both language of instruction and credential level is provided by WES, ICES or IQAS.
OR
b) Post- Secondary Education
Evidence of 2 years of Full-time Post-Secondary Education Completion*, where English is one of the principal languages of instruction. Language development courses (i.e. ELL courses) cannot be included in this calculation.
*This may be demonstrated by providing a high school transcript, completion of a BC Adult Graduation program, or providing validation of both language of instruction and credential level is provided by WES, ICES or IQAS.
Countries where English is the language of instruction:
American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, United States Virgin Islands, Zambia, & Zimbabwe.
OR
2. Assessment
By achieving a recognized standardized language test/assessment.
Approved English language assessment options:
· IELTS. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: Minimum overall score of 5.5.
· TOEFL. Test of English as a Foreign Language IBT: Minimum overall score of 46
· CAEL. Canadian Academic English Language Assessment. Minimum overall score of 40
· CELPIP. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program: Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5 and Writing 5.
· DET. Duolingo English Test: Minimum overall score of 95
· PTE. Pearson Test of English Academic: Minimum overall score of 43
· Cambridge English Qualifications: Minimum overall score of 160 or “C”
· Cambridge Linguaskill: Minimum overall B2 level
· LANGUAGECERT Academic: Minimum overall B2 level
· MET. The Michigan English Test: Minimum overall B2 level
· iTEP Academic: Minimum overall score of 3.5
· EIKEN: Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1
OR
3. Accuplacer
For mature (≥ 19 years) students who are facing barriers and cannot access their educational records or provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education.
Applicant must be 19 years or older at the start of the program and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and provides attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time secondary or post-secondary instruction in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages (please refer to Countries where English is the language of instruction).
Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation) and achieves the following minimum scores required:
· Reading: 230
· Writing: 230
· WritePlacer: 4
Certificate Requirements:
- Successful completion of all industry-certified courses and third-party training provided during the program.
- Successful completion of all practice education (practicum) components when required.
- Successful completion of all courses that are graded with a ‘pass/fail’.
- Successful completion of any required capstone projects, portfolios, or term papers assigned at the beginning of the program.
- Successful completion of all on-campus courses with a minimum of a 60% overall average.
Sprott Shaw College determines the start dates for this program, and how frequently the program is delivered (number of cohorts) will depend on enrolments. A typical schedule is shown below in the Course Breakdown. Pre-requisites apply (identified in the course descriptions.)
Courses are scheduled Monday to Friday, with students expected to attend all sessions, which are typically four hours in length (exceptions to this are noted in the course descriptions.) Specific class hours and schedule will be provided by the college at the time of enrolment.
Work experience (practicum) components are generally full-time hours (a minimum of six ‘clock hours’); however, this part of the schedule may vary depending on the needs and requirements of the host placement sites. Any hours missed during the work experience component must be ‘made up’ to meet the minimum attendance requirements, as indicated in the course breakdown.
Students can expect a minimum of one to three hours per day to complete homework and outstanding projects and assignments.
Contact Us Today!
Our advisors are happy to answer any questions.
Courses List
This 39 week Certificate program requires the student to complete the following courses.- Learn effective study skills, time management, and goal setting.
- Understand college policies, technology, and expectations.
- Apply organization, writing, and citation techniques.
- Develop self-care and stress-management strategies for success.
- Interview techniques
- Create a Career Development Marketing Plan
- Apply aspects of professionalism
- Identify target markets and employment resources
- Specialty program coverage in this shortened version
Students will identify the important role of each veterinary team member to delivery excellent
service. Students will describe and practice scenarios on how to properly greet clients, how to answer and
direct phone calls, recognize, and respond correctly to different client inquires, conduct phone triage, request records and information from other veterinary facilities including external laboratories and attending sales representatives.
- This course provides students with a foundation in veterinary medical terminology. Students learn the word parts of veterinary terminology and are introduced to several common prefixes, suffixes, roots and combining forms.
- Students will learn how to break down medical terms into their constituent parts and how to extract word meaning.
- Students begin building a veterinary medical vocabulary that will act as a foundation to be built on throughout their studies and career.
- Pre-requisite: VETA110
- This course will provide students with a foundation in animal anatomy and physiology. Focus is placed on understanding the structures of the cell, body tissues, organs, and systems, and how they work together to form the animal body. Students will examine each of the body systems, focusing on structure and function. Students will continue to build on their newly developed veterinary medical terminology vocabulary.
- There will be lab days where the students will be working on animal models to recognize the different structures of the animal body.
- This course offers students with the understanding of basic reception tasks performed in a veterinary
- hospital and in a shelter environment. It will also cover the subjects of euthanasia, adoptions, foster care, difficult clients, and billing clients.
- The course will provide students with an understanding of the front reception area. NEO Idexx veterinary software is introduced and applied to veterinary office procedures; the software is integrated, into many future courses in the program as computer labs.
- Hill’s Commit to Care Series staff will be presenting during this course where students will receive a certificate from Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada.
- This course provides students with essential knowledge and skills to promote animal health through preventative medicine practices and rigorous sanitation protocols. Students will learn about the immune system, vaccination schedules, disease prevention strategies, and the importance of maintaining a hygienic veterinary environment and sanitation protocols in animal shelters.
- This course enhances students with the essential knowledge and skills to safely handle medications in a veterinary setting. Students will learn about common drug classifications, routes of administration, dosage calculations, and potential side effects. The course emphasizes the importance of accurate record-keeping, legal regulations, and client communication regarding medications.
- Provide students with a comprehensive knowledge and practical skills in animal husbandry. Students will be introduced to the daily care of domestic animals, farm, and exotic animals in captivity, such as proper housing, life stages, lifestyle, housing, basic nutrition, and basic veterinary care, seeking to enhance animal welfare that includes proper physical and mental stimulation.
- Students will be able to accurately identify canine breeds accordingly to the CKC standards, as well as Feline breeds accordingly to CFA, the understanding breed characteristics is essential for providing optimal care, recognizing breed-specific health concerns, and effectively communicating with pet owners.
- Field trips will be schedule to local farms, veterinary practices, and/or animal rescue centers as well as in-class guest speakers.
- This course will introduce students to proper animal restraint techniques for routine medical procedures in feline, canine, pocket pets, rabbits, and other exotic animals.
- Students will be also introduced to the history and principles of animal behaviour, evolutionary strategies, natural instincts, imprinting, behavioural cues, and different training methods.
- Students will attend lab days and field trips to veterinary clinics, farms, or animal rescue centres.
- This course equips veterinary assistants with essential skills in handling laboratory samples, performing basic diagnostic tests, and maintaining laboratory safety. The emphasis is on practical application and understanding the significance of lab results in veterinary care.
- This course immerses students in the critical aspects of surgical assisting in a veterinary setting. Combining hands-on labs and theoretical lectures, students will develop expertise in pre- and postoperative care, anesthesia, surgical equipment, sterilization techniques, and aseptic protocol. By the end of the course, students will be proficient in preparing for and assisting in various surgical procedures, contributing to a safe and efficient surgical environment.
- This course introduces students to the fundamental principles and techniques of diagnostic imaging used in veterinary medicine. Students will gain knowledge in radiography, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs and endoscopy, focusing on their applications in diagnosing and monitoring animal health conditions.
- Pre-requisites: all theory courses.
- This is a four-week supervised practice experience where students have the opportunity to apply acquired theory and skills to practice.
- The practicum student’s role will be determined by the college and practicum supervisor once the host site is identified.
- A full practice education policies and procedures guide is available to students prior to the practicum.
- During their integrated practicum, students will require to complete a daily reflective journal as well as various assignments related to the courses while practicing at veterinary clinics/hospitals, animal shelters, or in a farming/ranching environment.
- This course will provide students with a fundamental knowledge of veterinary dentistry. Students learn the importance of dental health and the basic principles and procedures of small animal dentistry. Lab days use Neo software to create dentistry charts.
- This course will introduce students to proper animal restraint techniques for routine medical procedures in feline, canine, pocket pets, rabbits, and other exotic animals.
- Students will be also introduced to the history and principles of animal behaviour, evolutionary strategies, natural instincts, imprinting, behavioural cues, and different training methods.
- Students will attend lab days and field trips to veterinary clinics, farms, or animal rescue centres.
- This course will provide veterinary assistants with a comprehensive understanding of common parasites affecting companion animals. Students will learn to identify, diagnose, and prevent parasitic infections, as well as understand the life cycles and zoonotic potential of various parasites.
- The course will emphasize hands-on laboratory skills in fecal analysis, blood smear evaluation, and parasite identification.
- Students will be encouraged to research and openly discuss animal welfare topics they deem important and relevant. Canada’s Animal Welfare Act, laws and bylaws, the classification of animals as property, and penalties for harmful acts against animals will be addressed and discussed.
- Students will be introduced to the health and welfare activities of animal shelters and veterinary clinics.
- Students will attend field days within their local rescue centres.
- This course enhances students’ ability to understand, communicate, and benefit from advocating proper pet nutrition. Focus is placed on the nutritional and dietary requirements of felines, canines, and other small animals.
- Students will develop a framework for evaluating diet quality and understanding the advantages of providing high-quality food. They will gain skills to critically assess various diets and recognize the health benefits associated with optimal nutrition, enabling them to make informed dietary recommendations for animal care.
- Students will be introduced to different therapeutic diet brands, and complete certificate online seminars from the most important nutrition companies within the veterinary industry.
