Nurses Certificate in Small Animal Nutrition
Newly revised programme!
The science of small animal nutrition has advanced significantly during recent years.
It is now well recognised, both by veterinary staff and pet owners, that optimal feeding plays a vital role in helping to reduce the risk of common health problems at different life stages, as well as helping in both convalescence and the nutritional management of a wide range of clinical conditions. Providing the correct nutritional advice is now considered to be a very important aspect of pet care. The task of formulating a feeding plan is often delegated to nursing staff who are directly involved with the care of hospitalised patients. Veterinary nurses also play an important role in communicating with owners and providing feeding advice for pets at home.
This programme involves a careful examination of small animal clinical nutrition as a tool to answer nutritional enquiries from pet owners and for improving the nutritional status of both healthy pets and clinical cases.
This updated programme is ideal for healthcare professionals who wish to increase the depth of their nutritional knowledge and understanding in order to demystify the subject of nutritional names and numbers and advise on the latest advancements.
Your journey through our Certificate Programme
Timings, assessment and learning support
The individual courses are held within a face to face training environment, giving you the opportunity to meet like-minded people and share experiences. You can take one to three years to study towards the exam or opt to attend the individual modules.
If you are working towards the Certificate you will need to attend all taught modules and register for the multiple-choice question exam with ISVPS. Pre and post-module studying are structured around defined learning objectives and you are required to evaluate personal learning goals and record sources used for further study.
Each taught session concludes with a discussion consisting of case-based questions occupying the final 30 minutes of the session.
Please note:
The programme should be taken in sequence in order to gain maximum benefit.
Access Requirements:
If you would like to attain the NCert, you must have been in practice for a minimum of one year and be a Registered Veterinary Nurse, or equivalent if you are not practising in the UK.
You can attend the modules if you are a student, or not in practice and enrolled with the RCVS; however, you will not be able to attain the NCert qualification.
Course timings:
08.45 Registration
09.00 Course Starts
17.30 Course Finishes
Register your interest
Interested in a programme? Simply click the button, fill out the short form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Route to a Nurses Certificate
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) some examples
In Partnership with
Venue: Swindon
Start date: 21 October 2020
Anatomy and physiology - an introduction to nutrition
Oct 2020 | SwindonThe first module of this small animal nutrition programme will review the anatomy and physiology of the canine and feline gastrointestinal tract and the biochemistry of digestion to enable you to have a firm basis for your nutritional knowledge as you progress through the course.
There will also be a brief study of the anatomy and physiology of the kidneys and liver, followed by the physiology of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis.
Kirsty Gwynne
RVN Cert Ed C-SQP V1
Kirsty has been a veterinary nurse in practice since 1996 and has worked in mixed practice as well as dedicated small animal practice as Head Nurse and assessor. After being in practice for eight years Kirsty moved into education where she taught on BSc level Veterinary Nursing and Animal Science, FE Veterinary Nursing, Animal Science and Equine programmes. In 2009 Kirsty became a director of Abbeydale Vetlink Veterinary Training Ltd. Kirsty still works in small animal practice and a dedicated emergency clinic part time. Kirsty has a Graduate Diploma in Professional Clinical Veterinary Nursing and is an RCVS examiner and Senior examiner for Central Qualifications.
Basic nutrition and life-stage feeding of cats and dogs
Oct 2020 | SwindonIn this module you will study the principles of basic nutrition and life-stage feeding. There are naturally some important differences between the nutritional requirements of cats and dogs to consider.
This module also includes case studies so that you will have an opportunity to practise nutritional calculations.
Small mammal nutrition
Feb 2021 | SwindonIn this module you will learn about the commonly, and some of the uncommonly encountered exotic mammalian species (eg rabbits, rodents, ferrets and a brief discussion of sugar gliders, small primates etc) and their basic gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology. The aetiology of nutritional diseases in these species and how best to avoid them by supplying optimally balanced diets will be discussed. Clinically relevant areas of other organ systems will also be described eg calcium metabolism and the urinary tract in rabbits. By the end of this module you will feel comfortable in approaching clinical nutritional support for the generally ill patient as well as those suffering specific disease conditions. Cases from the speaker's practice will be drawn on to illustrate these issues and you are invited to bring your own cases, with as much information as possible, on the day, or to send them through ahead of time.
Richard A. Saunders
BSc (Hons) Zoology BVSc RCVS CertZooMed RCVS, Dipl ZooMed (Mammalian)
Richard Saunders is a Staff Veterinarian at Bristol Zoo Gardens and Clinical Teacher at the University of Bristol. Additionally, he sees referral exotic pets at Highcroft veterinary Referrals, Bristol, and is the veterinary adviser to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund. He qualified in 1994, obtaining his DZooMed (Mammalian) in 2010. He has authored numerous articles on rabbits, rodents and other wild and exotic species, and has contributed to a number of textbooks, including co-authoring "Notes on Rabbit Internal Medicine", as well as several chapters for the new editions of the BSAVA Rabbit Manuals, and has co-authored a new text on Rabbit behaviour and Welfare due out this year.
Balanced nutrition for birds and reptiles
Feb 2021 | SwindonThe second exotic module will cover the nutritional requirements of birds such as psittacines; raptors, other commonly presented wild UK birds and backyard chickens. To allow you to feel more comfortable with a variety of reptiles, species such as terrestrial and freshwater chelonia; snakes; representative species of commonly encountered lizard species (herbivore, omnivore and carnivore) will also be discussed. Understanding the basic gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology of these species will help you understand the aetiology of the nutritional diseases which these species experience and how to prevent them with optimal diets. Clinically relevant areas of other organ systems will be described including Vitamin D metabolism and UV light. Cases from the speaker's practice will be drawn on to illustrate these issues and you are invited to bring your own cases, with as much information as possible, on the day, or to send them through ahead of time.
Richard A. Saunders
BSc (Hons) Zoology BVSc RCVS CertZooMed RCVS, Dipl ZooMed (Mammalian) Richard Saunders is a Staff Veterinarian at Bristol Zoo Gardens and Clinical Teacher at the University of Bristol. Additionally, he sees referral exotic pets at Highcroft veterinary Referrals, Bristol, and is the veterinary adviser to the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund. He qualified in 1994, obtaining his DZooMed (Mammalian) in 2010. He has authored numerous articles on rabbits, rodents and other wild and exotic species, and has contributed to a number of textbooks, including co-authoring "Notes on Rabbit Internal Medicine", as well as several chapters for the new editions of the BSAVA Rabbit Manuals, and has co-authored a new text on Rabbit behaviour and Welfare due out this year.
Commercial pet food - types and labelling
May 2021 | SwindonPet owners are often bewildered by the information on pet food packaging and as a nurse running nutrition clinics you require the knowledge and skills to translate this data into everyday language. This module will review pet food choices, discuss ‘fashionable’ diets and the impact of feeding on behaviour. This module includes case studies and a practical session so that you will have an opportunity to practise nutritional calculations using a wide range of commercial pet food products. By the end of this module you will be better positioned to speak knowledgeably and communicate productively with your clients on the occasionally contentious topic of what they choose to feed their pet, and why.
Nutritional Clinics for your patients
May 2021 | SwindonThis module will cover topics such as weight management and oral care at home, but also the support of more critically ill patients such as those affected by anorexia and cancer. Patients suffering from critical illness and/or injury often require assisted feeding. Their owners benefit from training and significant support to improve the welfare and outcomes for their pet and result in speedier recovery and shorter hospitalisation times. This module will give you the confidence to run successful nurse clinics in your practice.
Nutritional support for gastrointestinal and endocrine disorders
Jun 2021 | SwindonGastrointestinal signs are a major concern to many pet owners and are a frequent reason to seek nutritional advice. Whether the pet is hospitalised or cared for at home, nutritional support is particularly important for these cases. This module will provide in depth guidance on the ideal approach to cases such as adverse food reactions, colitis, pancreatitis, and hyperlipidaemia. Many endocrine conditions also benefit from personalised nutritional management as they are so complex and affect many different body systems. This module will deepen your understanding of the nutritional care of patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal or endocrine disorders.
Nutritional support of organ failure, the lower urinary tract and orthopaedic disorders
Jun 2021 | SwindonThis module primarily focuses our attention on the nutritional management of patients who have been diagnosed with organ failure which is more common in the mature cat and dog. A wide variety of organs can be affected including the kidneys, liver, brain and heart. Also included in this module are specific nutritional considerations for urolithiasis and FLUTD. Patients affected by orthopaedic disorders whether young or old can also benefit from nutritional support. Such cases are commonly presented at the clinic for their mobility issues and it has been shown that they require less medical intervention when they receive appropriate dietary management.
Nurses Certificate in Small Animal Nutrition Pricing
| Payments | Initial Payment |
Total Payable |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment Options | All prices exclude VAT | ||
| NCert Programme | £1,595.00 | £0.00 | £1,595.00 |
| NCert Programme (Deposit + Direct debit in 12 Monthly payments) | £115.00 | £295.00 | £1,675.00 |
| NCert Programme (Deposit and Payment in Full) | £1,300.00 | £295.00 | £1,595.00 |
All NCert programme prices are based on you completing the programme and include ISVPS registration and examination fees. * If taking the paired modules, there is an additional registration and examination charge, payable to ISVPS, if you wish to eventually complete all the modules and gain the NCert. | |||
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Payment Terms & Conditions
- Payments can be made by BACS, credit card or Direct Debit.
- Direct Debit plans are administered and collected on our behalf by GoCardless Limited.
- In certain circumstances, multiple booking and corporate discounts are available, please contact us on 01793 759159 for further information.
- In order to confirm your place, we must receive payment in full or the relevant initial payment.
- In addition, if paying by direct debit, we must receive the completed mandate prior to course commencement.
- Paired module pricing does not include the exam fees payable to ISVPS.
- Full details regarding the course cancellation procedure can be found here: https://www.improveinternational.com/uk/terms-and-conditions/
- We will charge VAT by default if you are part of an EU country outside of the UK. However, if you can supply a valid intra-community VAT number the invoice will be exempt from VAT.
Register your interest
Interested in a programme? Simply click the button, fill out the short form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Route to a Nurses Certificate
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) some examples
In Partnership with
Register your interest
Interested in a programme? Simply click the button, fill out the short form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Route to a Nurses Certificate
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) some examples
In Partnership with
