Veterinary Assistant Study Guide

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Core Competency Areas

The exam tests for 'Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities' (KSAs) in the following core competency areas:

3%Veterinary Staff & Educational Requirements

15%Safety & Infection Control

1%Signs of Animals in Distress

1%Veterinarian Dentistry

1%Veterinarian Radiation

7%Veterinarian Pharmacy

6%Veterinary Laboratory

13%Veterinary Surgery

7%Gestation

1%Front Office

1%Restraints

8%Vital Signs (Normal Ranges)

6%Scientific Names of Animals

18%Anatomical Abbreviations

9%Common Diagnoses

3%Common Procedures

Topical Breakdown

Use the following topical guide to help you prepare for the exam:

I. Veterinary Staff & Educational Requirements (3%)

Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary Technician
Veterinary Technologist
Veterinarian

II. Safety & Infection Control (15%)

Staff Injuries
Biohazardous Waste
Sharps Container
Priority of Animal Safety
OSHA regulations
Foods & Plants to be avoided by animals
Common cleaning agent used in vet clinics
Autoclaving/ chemical sterilization
Poisonings
MSDS
Nosocomial infections
Zoonotic infections
Clostridial infections

III. Signs of Animals in Distress (1%)

IV. Veterinarian Dentistry (1%)

V. Veterinarian Radiation (1%)

Complications

VI. Veterinarian Pharmacy (7%)

Metric Conversion
Weight
Measurements
Vaccines
Injections
Types
Sites

VII. Veterinary Laboratory (6%)

Common Venipuncture Sites
Specimen collection
Urine
Blood
Fecal
Venous
Capillary (sticks & refill time)
Tubes and common testing
Smears

VIII. Veterinary Surgery (13%)

Positioning
Pulse oximetry
Suture
Instruments
Dressings
Bone marrow biopsy sites
IV catheterization sites

IX. Gestation (7%)

Nutritional needs
Duration
Canine
Bovine
Equine
Porcine

X. Front Office (1%)

Charting
SOAP
POMR
POVMR

XI. Restraints (1%)

Proper holding techniques

XII. Vital Signs (Normal Ranges) (8%)

XIII. Scientific Names of Animals (6%)

canine
feline
equine
avian
porcine
ovine
caprine
bovine

XIV. Anatomical Abbreviations (18%)

AD, AS, AU & OD, OU, OD
Diagnostic Abbreviations (SOB, URI, UTI, tx, fx, sx, R/O)
Pharmacy Abbreviations (Qd, BID, TID, QID, QOD, po, prn, Rx)
Medical Terminology (Root words, suffixes, prefixes)
Chemical Abbreviations (Ca, Zn, S, Fe, Mg, P, K, NaCl)

XV. Common Diagnoses (9%)

Sepsis
Parasites
Fungus
Otitis media
Otitis externia
Uroliths
Renal failure
Burns (1, 2, 3 degree)
Hyper/hypo glycemia
Obesity
Necrosis
Decubitus ulcer

XVI. Common Procedures (3%)

Ablation
Laceration repair
Incision
Debridement
Degloving
Onychectomy
Celiotomy
Castration
Euthanasia
Necropsy
Biopsy

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AAH

National Certification & Registration

National Consortium for Health Sicence Education