Study this Pet Care Certificate course to learn about caring for different pets such as dogs, cats, fish, birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles and amphibians. Learn about important aspects of pet care such as ideal diets & food, care of coats, feathers, hair, enclosures such as tanks etc., care of litters and young animals and more. Pet shop workers will gain a lot from this course.
This course works well with other pet care courses such as dog care, cat psychology, animal behaviour and animal health care.
This course is an excellent starting point for anyone willing to work with pets; or people already working in the pet industry, as a career, pet shop employee or simply a pet owner or enthusiast who wishes to enhance their knowledge and skills.
- 100 hour course
- Online and Self-Paced
- Get expert tutor support from Qualified Vets!
- Interest Free Payment Plans – enrol today.
There are 8 Lessons in this course:
1. Introduction to Animal Care
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- Laws and licenses
- Animal Charities and Societies (eg. RSPCA, WSPA, Blue Cross)
- Pet Care Needs (feeding, Watering, Shelter, Containment, Fencing, Caging, Protection)
- Maintaining Health
- Hygiene
2. Cats
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- Breeds (Lang Haired, Semi Long Haired, Short Haired, Oriental etc)
- Cat Selection
- Allergies
- Containment
- Sexing
- Desexing
- Breeding
- Newborn Kittens
- Exercise
- Behaviour
- Hygiene
- Feed and nutrition
- Amount of food
- Watering, Grooming
- Travelling
- Care for a sick cat (Signs of illness, Temperature, Common ailments, Skin disorders, Ticks)
- Cats and wildlife
3. Dogs
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- Dog Selection
- Breeds (Pure and mixed)
- Varying size and temperament
- Grooming
- Skin care
- Inherited traits (aggression, deafness)
- Containment
- Breeding
- Desexing
- Exercise
- Behaviour
- Feeding
- Canine Nutrition
- Bones
- Watering
- Training
- Travelling
- Identifying sickness
4. Birds
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- Bird Selection
- Breeds (eg. Canaries, Finches, Budgerigars, Small Parrots etc)
- Sexing
- Desexing
- Containment (Aviaries –selection, design, size, management)
- Feed and Feeding
- Watering
- Grooming (Wing trim, Beak Trim, Nail Trim)
- Hygiene
- Catching and Restraining
- Travelling
- Caring for the Sick Bird
- Signs of illness
- Temperature
- Supportive therapy
- Common Ailments (eg. Abscesses, Alopecia, Apoplexy, Aspergillosis, Breathlessness, Constipation, Parasites)
- Safety in the Home
5. Fish
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- Fish Selection
- Inside or Outside
- Warm or Cold water
- Number of fish
- Types of fish (Tropical, Marine, Cold Water)
- Costs, Size
- Equipment: Tanks, Ponds, Pumps, Aquariums, Night lights
- Water quality
- Changing Water, Feed (Pelleted, live feed –Daphnia, Brine Shrimp)
- Illnesses (Fungal, Bacterial, Parasites, Environmental)
6. Rabbits
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- Rabbit Breeds (Large, Small and Dwarf)
- Selection
- Legality (Illegal in some areas)
- Containment (Hutch or Cage)
- Environment (temperature etc)
- Feeding, Nutrition, Watering, Feed quantities and routine
- Grooming
- Handling
- Moulting
- Transporting
- Sexing, Breeding
- Identifying illness (Coccidiosis, Snuffles, Myxomatosisis, Sore Hocks, Pasteurellosis, Ear Canker, Heat Stroke, Cannibalism, Calcivirus Disease)
- Care of sick rabbits
7. Reptiles and Amphibians
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- Types (eg. Salamander, Frogs, Venomous snakes, Non-venomous snakes, Shingle-backed lizard, Tortoises, Terrapins, Axolotls, etc),
- Selection,
- Legal Issues,
- Housing,
- Environmental requirements (Moisture, Humidity, Warmth, etc),
- Terrariums,
- Problems (eg. Dehydration, Stress, External and internal parasites, Blisters, Scale Rot, Mouth Rot or Canker, Colds/pneumonia, Constipation and diarrhoea, Cannibalism, Incomplete sloughing of the skin -shedding of the skin)
- Feed and feeding
- General Care
8. Guinea Pigs, Hamsters and Mice
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- Varieties, Selection
- Containment
- Sexing, Breeding
- Grooming
- Feeding, Watering
- Illness (eg. Skin Problems, Abscesses, Mites, Ringworm, Fleas, Respiratory Infection, Vitamin C Deficiency, Otitis, Salmonella, Stripping etc)