Animal Science 1: Foundations of Care, Health, and Biology for Pets

𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡. 

Whether you dream of a career in animal science or simply love spending time with pets, this class gives you the foundation to care for dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles, and more. Explore𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 techniques for health, nutrition, and well-being while taking the first step toward making a difference in their lives—and yours.

This class is perfect for animal lovers who want to learn how to keep 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐬, 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬 healthy and happy. Whether you're a 𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 or considering a 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 or 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬, you'll gain practical knowledge in 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, and 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. Build the confidence to care for animals like an expert and take your passion to the next level.

_______
Weekly Breakdown

Week of January 6: Learn essential safety protocols and procedures to maintain a secure and efficient veterinary lab environment.
Week of January 13: Develop skills in proper animal handling and restraint to ensure safety and reduce stress for animals.
Week of January 20: Explore key veterinary abbreviations and terminology to improve understanding of medical communication.
Week of January 27: Study methods for calculating accurate veterinary prescription dosages to support animal health.

Week of February 3: Study the structure of body systems and their roles in supporting animal health.
Week of February 10: Explore how body systems function and work together to maintain overall health in animals.
Weeks of February 17 & February 24: Identify dog breeds based on their physical traits, characteristics, and unique features.

Week of March 3: Learn grooming techniques to maintain healthy skin, coat, nails, eyes, and ears in dogs.
Week of March 10: Study the science behind canine nutritional needs and how diet impacts their overall health.
Week of March 17: OFF
Week of March 24: Identify cat breeds by examining their physical characteristics and unique traits.

Week of April 7: Learn grooming techniques to maintain healthy skin, coat, nails, eyes, and ears in cats.
Week of April 14: Study the science behind feline nutritional needs and how diet impacts their health.
Week of April 21: Explore common diseases and parasites in cats and their effects on feline health.
Week of April 28: Examine the characteristics of rabbits, guinea pigs, and research animals, including their unique housing needs.

Week of May 5: Study the nutritional requirements of rabbits, guinea pigs, and research animals and how they support overall health.
Week of May 12: Explore common diseases and parasites affecting rabbits, guinea pigs, and research animals, and their impact on health.
Week of May 19: Examine the characteristics of aquatic pets and reptiles, focusing on their care and housing needs.
Week of May 26: Study the nutritional requirements of aquatic pets and reptiles and how they support health and longevity.

Week of June 2: Explore common diseases and parasites affecting aquatic pets and reptiles and their impact on health.
Week of June 9: Examine the characteristics of birds, including their unique behaviors and housing requirements.
Week of June 16: Study the nutritional requirements of birds and how diet supports their health and vitality.
Week of June 23: Explore common diseases and parasites affecting birds and their effects on avian health.
_______

This class follows a loop schedule, allowing learners to join at any point and seamlessly continue through the material. Each lesson stands alone, so learners will never feel behind or miss critical content. It is the parent/learner's responsibility to track lessons completed. Refunds will not be provided if a lesson is repeated, but many learners enjoy revisiting topics for review and reinforcement!

_______

CLASS ENVIRONMENT

Our classrooms are guided by a Socratic teaching approach, fostering critical thinking and encouraging open dialogue among learners. By facilitating engaging discussions and posing thought-provoking questions, students are able to explore topics more deeply and gain a comprehensive understanding of the material. 

Our class size does not exceed 5 learners. This allows for more personalized attention from the educator, ensuring that each learner's individual needs and learning styles are met. With a smaller group size, there is also more opportunity for discussion and collaboration among classmates, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. Additionally, students may feel more comfortable and confident participating in discussions and activities in a smaller group setting.

We incorporate a mix of traditional methods such as videos and limited PowerPoint presentations to accommodate various learning styles as well. 

In addition, we gamify our lessons, as much as possible, to make learning fun and interactive for students. By adding elements of games and competition, we are able to keep learners engaged and motivated to participate in their education.

We also incorporate hands-on projects, wherever possible, to provide students with real-world application of their learning. Through these projects, students are able to apply their knowledge in practical ways and further enhance their understanding of the subject matter.

By designing this type of diverse classroom environment, utilizing multiple teaching methods, we effectively address the diverse learning styles of our learners.

_______

IMPORTANT DATES

Please note we value mental health and want to prevent teacher burnout. With that said, we do take company wide breaks where there will not be any classes taught nor will we be answering emails. 

Please expect a delay in responses the following dates: 

2024:

August 19-August 25 (Summer Break)
November 27-29 (Thanksgiving Break)
December 23 - December 31 (Winter Break)

2025

January 1 - Jan 5 (Winter Break)
March 17 - March 23 (Spring Break)
April 19 - April 20 (Easter Break)
August 25-31st (Summer Break)

If you are enrolled, you will not be charged!

We will be returning all emails the day or two after we return. 

In addition, teachers may need time off outside of these breaks as emergencies do happen. We always try our best to give ample notice when we can. You will never be charged for a day that we cancel classes.

_______

CLASS POLICIES

Refund Policy:

We strictly adhere to Outschool's refund/reschedule policy for all of our classes. This means that once a class has been paid for, there will be no deviation from Outschool's guidelines. We do not offer refunds or rescheduling outside of what Outschool allows. 

Camera Policy:

All students are required to keep their camera turned on during the entire class. The only exception is those that have been verified by Outschool and have the verification badge.  

Contact info:

In compliance with Outschool's policies, we do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former families on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). We also do not provide or ask for any personal information such as email address or phone numbers.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these policies.