Diploma in Veterinary Technician
Ottawa, Canada
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 9,988
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Transform learning into making a difference on a veterinary health care team.
The two-year Veterinary Technician Ontario College Diploma program prepares you to enter the Veterinary profession by offering an authentic learning experience working alongside highly credentialed professionals in our on-campus veterinary medical facility and in our partnering facilities in the local community.
You benefit from learning in the 10,100-square-foot Veterinary Learning Centre and Clinic. This facility includes a reception area, exam rooms, a husbandry area, a surgical suite, a dental suite, a radiography room, and more. This facility is similar to a real-life small animal clinic, enabling you to have an on-campus learning experience using the equipment you would also use in the field.
As a student, you have the unique opportunity to provide medical care to shelter animals and help prepare them for adoption. While in the program, you become a vital member of the veterinary health care team, developing and acquiring valuable knowledge and skills that can then be applied to a variety of areas within the Veterinary Learning Centre and Clinic.
This includes:
- Physical exams and patient care
- Preparing and administering medications
- Specimen collection and sample analysis
- Surgical assisting and anesthesia
- Producing diagnostic radiographs
- Providing nutritional support
Additional benefits of this program are its numerous accreditations. It is accredited by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians; certified by the Canadian Council on Animal Care; and registered with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Graduates are eligible for consideration for registration by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians and by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science.
Ideal Students
This program is well-suited for students who:
- Are able to commit to a full-time program of study that includes having the ability to dedicate two hours of studying outside of class for each hour of instructional lecture or lab
- Have a strong background in math and science
- Have flexible schedules and can perform shift work including early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays
- Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and have the ability to develop professional relationships with coworkers and clientele
- Have exceptional critical-thinking skills
- Can take direction and accomplish tasks efficiently
- Are self-motivated, can work independently, can thrive in a team environment, and are comfortable in a leadership role
- Are detail-oriented, organized, and committed to achieving excellence in their work
- Are dedicated to providing high-quality veterinary medical care with compassion towards animals and people
- Have good manual dexterity and strong fine motor skills
- Have the ability to lift and carry up to 25kg, stand for long periods of time, and handle a physically demanding environment
- Are comfortable working within a variety of clinical settings, managing large and small patients, and handling biological materials
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the college website for more information.
Curriculum
Level: 01
- ENL1813S Communications I
- VET1101 Animal Care and Etymology
- VET1102 Comparative Anatomy and Physiology I
- VET1103 Information Technology in Veterinary Practice
- VET1104 Ethology
- VET1125 Essentials of Veterinary Mathematics
- VET1127 Clinical Practices I
- VET1128 Ethics and Animal Welfare
- VET1129 Fundamentals of Laboratory Procedures
Level: 02
- GED2012 Achieving Success in the 21st Century
- VET1204 Clinical Mathematics
- VET1205 Veterinary Pharmacology
- VET1206 Veterinary Radiography
- VET1207 Surgical and Anesthetic Principles I
- VET1208 Comparative Animal Anatomy and Physiology II
- VET1210 Clinical Practices II
- VET1211 Small and Large Animal Parasitology
Level: 03
- ENL5501 Professional Communication Skills for Veterinary Technicians
- ENV0002 Environmental Citizenship
- VET1309 Veterinary Dentistry
- VET1310 Clinical Chemistry
- VET1311 Surgical and Anesthetic Principles II
- VET1315 Animal Nutrition
- VET1316 Clinical Practices III
- VET1317 Clinical Pathology
Level: 04
- VET1401 Laboratory and Exotic Animal Care
- VET1412 Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
- VET1414 Large Animal Medicine
- VET1419 Emergency Medicine and Critical Care
- VET1421 Clinical Practices IV
- VET1423 Veterinary Practicum
- VET1424 Veterinary Practice Management
- GED6320 General Education Elective
Program Outcome
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Perform basic patient examinations and collect data on vital signs
- Restrain and manage small animals in clinical situations
- Administer medications by common drug routes and prepare pharmaceuticals as prescribed by a veterinarian
- Prepare anesthetic delivery systems, induce anesthesia, and monitor patients under anesthesia
- Prepare and maintain the surgical area and assist during surgical procedures
- Perform dental prophylactic procedures on dogs and cats
- Produce standard diagnostic radiographs
- Collect and process samples for diagnostic laboratory work
- Perform common veterinary diagnostic tests, such as blood chemistries, differentials, culture and sensitivities, and EKGs
- Perform basic veterinary practice management including computer applications
- Recognize behavioral signs of small animals
- Counsel clients especially in the area of pet nutrition
- Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment, and environmental stewardship
Career Opportunities
Graduates may find employment as veterinary technicians in small, large, or mixed animal veterinary practices, humane societies, veterinary pharmaceutical, medical equipment and nutrition industries, zoological parks, university and research facilities and provincial and federal government agencies.
English Language Requirements
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