Year 2
YEAR 2 UNIT CONTENT ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Unit 1: Animal Health and Disease
Levels: 1 and 2
Unit type: Core
Guided learning hours: 30
Assessment type: External
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Unit introduction
Have you ever wondered why the vaccination of companion animals is so important? Have you ever wondered how ill health in animals can be spotted? Having an understanding of animal health is a vital part of working with animals in any field of the animal care sector. This unit will develop your knowledge and understanding of animal health, disease and parasite prevention, and how these link together. If you choose to work with animals, this unit will provide you with sound basic knowledge to provide the best possible care for animals. In this unit, you will learn how to assess the health of dogs, cats, rabbits, goats, chickens and bearded dragons, but these health assessment skills are easily transferred from species to species. Assessing animal health starts with observing the overall visual signs given by the animal’s appearance and behaviour before referral if appropriate to more in-depth veterinary tests for possible ill health in the animal. You will learn about some of the most common diseases and disorders found in the species you will assess, and gain an understanding of how to identify and prevent these common ailments. As part of this unit you will also learn about the parasites that you may find on or in the animals you will assess. You will learn how these parasites are transmitted, the effect they have on animals and how their transmission can be prevented.
Learning aims
In this unit you will:
A understand the essential signs of good and ill health in animals
B understand common diseases, their causes, transmission and treatment
C understand the signs, symptoms, prevention and treatment of common parasites.
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Unit 5: Principles of Animal Behaviour
Level: 1 and 2
Unit type: Optional specialist
Guided learning hours: 30
Assessment type: Internal
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Unit introduction
In this unit, you will learn about the normal behaviour that we expect to see in animals, as well as abnormal behaviours that may be caused by an animal’s environment. A parrot that pulls out its feathers in captivity is displaying an abnormal behaviour. Knowing that certain behaviours are abnormal will alert the animal’s keeper to the fact that something is wrong. Animals kept in captivity need to be kept in an environment that fulfils their welfare needs, or else they may start to display abnormal behaviours. An environment that contains all of the stimuli needed to maintain an animal’s physical and mental health is known as an ‘enriched’ environment. Enrichment can be as simple as changing the layout of the animal’s enclosure or providing food in a variety of different ways. In this unit, you will also learn about animal behaviour by visually monitoring animals and recording the behaviours you observe. These observational skills will be useful in many careers in the animal care sector, when knowing how to observe an animal’s behaviour allows you to make better decisions about its welfare. For example, if you observed an animal displaying signs of aggression, you would probably judge that it was unsuitable for handling at that time. Being able to record observed behaviour and act on information in this way is a transferable skill.
Learning aims
In this unit you will:
A know what indicates behaviour patterns in animals
B understand the influence of enrichment on animal behaviour
C monitor and record the behaviour of a range of animals.