Veterinary Assistant

Emergencies can strike at any moment and knowing how to respond quickly and calmly can save an animal's life. As a pet owner or caregiver, are you prepared to act in an emergency before professional veterinary care is available? Discover essential lifesaving skills including CPR, choking relief, and emergency first aid for common injuries. This pet CPR and first aid class will add crucial emergency response skills to your toolkit as a pet caregiver. Students must bring a pet-sized stuffed animal for hands on practice.

Course Outline

1. Recognize normal vital signs, behaviors, and baselines in dogs and cats
2. Perform a primary emergency assessment, including checking for dehydration and vitals
3. Apply safe handling, general restraint methods, improvised muzzles, and essential first aid supplies
4. Demonstrate pet CPR and rescue breathing techniques
5. Perform the Heimlich maneuver and airway management for choking emergencies
6. Manage temperature-related emergencies (heatstroke, hyperthermia, and hypothermia)
7. Execute field first aid for pre-hospital stabilization

Course Outcomes

1. Identify baseline vitals and recognize early signs of medical distress
2. Conduct a systematic primary assessment, including skin tent and capillary refill time
3. Demonstrate safe restraint and muzzling techniques to protect handler and pet
4. Perform effective chest compressions and rescue breaths on companion animals
5. Apply the Heimlich maneuver and foreign-body clearance procedures safely
6. Deliver immediate first aid for heat/cold exposure, external bleeding, and shock
7. Assess poisoning risks and follow correct emergency stabilization protocols 

Upcoming Course

Saturday, March 6
9 a.m. to noon
BVETA-0400-002, $129
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Register Online

• To participate in online or hybrid classes, you will need access to a computer, tablet (such as an iPad), or similar device with a camera and microphone. Classes are delivered via Zoom and/or the Blackboard learning platform.
• To ensure a smooth start, registration for online courses may close up to 48 business hours before the course begins.

Pets can get nervous or stressed when their routine is disrupted. This pet massage basics class will show you how a simple, hands-on skill can help: you'll learn how and when massage can ease anxiety, promote relaxation, and strengthen the bond between you and your pet. Add a valuable new tool to your pet caregiver toolkit — and walk away ready to help your pet feel calmer and more secure. Students must bring a pet-sized stuffed animal for hands on practice.

Course Outline

1. Explain the benefits of pet massage for stress and anxiety
2. Describe the effects of pet massage
3. Recognize the different types of pet massage
4. Understand the importance of when massage should be used
5. Outline safe uses of pet massage
6. Utilize comfort care massage techniques
7. Learn how touch can be used to detect/monitor health changes in pets

Course Outcomes

1. Overview of pet massage techniques
2. Understand the limitations of massage
3. Identify the role massage plays in improving the human-animal bond
4. Evaluate when massage should be used
5. Outline safe uses of pet massage
6. Demonstrate comfort care massage techniques
7. Discover how touch can be used to monitor/detect health changes in pets

Upcoming Course

Saturday, Feb. 13
10 a.m. to noon
BVETA-0400-001, $99
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Register Online

• To participate in online or hybrid classes, you will need access to a computer, tablet (such as an iPad), or similar device with a camera and microphone. Classes are delivered via Zoom and/or the Blackboard learning platform.
• To ensure a smooth start, registration for online courses may close up to 48 business hours before the course begins.

Before entering the veterinary assistant program, demonstrating foundational patient handling is essential for safety and professional success. Are you prepared to interpret subtle animal body language and manage patient stress effectively in a high-paced clinical environment? Discover how reading baseline behavior, fear triggers, and emotional states directly inform safe restraint, accurate vital sign collection, and positive interactions. This prerequisite skills lab equips you with the fundamental behavioral insight and technical competencies required to thrive in the core Veterinary Assistant coursework. Students must bring a pet-sized stuffed animal for hands-on practice.

Course Outline

1. Apply safe animal restraint and low-stress handling techniques for dogs
2. Select and utilize proper restraint aids
3. Obtain and evaluate patient vital signs
4. Identify normal physiological ranges and recognize signs of acute patient stress
5. Apply clear clinical communication protocols to relay patient observations to the veterinary team

Course Outcomes

1. Demonstrate canine restraint techniques
2. Accurately measure and record vital signs in clinical documentation
3. Differentiate between normal and abnormal patient vital parameters
4. Communicate patient assessments and diagnostic results effectively to the veterinary team

Upcoming Courses

Choose from one of the following:

Friday, Jan. 15
5 to 7 p.m.
BVETA-0200-001, $99
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Saturday, Jan. 16
10 a.m. to noon
BVETA-0200-002, $99
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Register Online

• To participate in online or hybrid classes, you will need access to a computer, tablet (such as an iPad), or similar device with a camera and microphone. Classes are delivered via Zoom and/or the Blackboard learning platform.
• To ensure a smooth start, registration for online courses may close up to 48 business hours before the course begins.

Veterinary assistants must be 18 years of age, high school diploma or equivalency is required, and a successful completion of the Veterinary Assistant Skills Bootcamp.

The program is designed to be self-paced and flexible, but most students complete the program in 4-6 months. The timeline depends on:

• Your study schedule (we recommend 5-10 hours per week)
• Our previous experience with online learning
• Time needed to complete your 100-hour externship

You have 12 months of access to all course materials, giving you plenty of time to learn at your own pace.

The program does not guarantee employment, however, the market has demands for entry-level employment in veterinary hospitals, clinics, animal shelters, and other animal care environments.

Veterinary Assistants

• Support veterinarians and technicians with daily tasks.
• Handle animal restraint, basic care, and client communication
• Education and training typically 6-12 months
• Can start working immediately after training

Veterinary Technicians

• Require an Associate’s degree (2+ years)
• Must pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam
• Performs a more advanced procedure like anesthesia monitoring
• Have a higher salary potential but require more education

Many veterinary assistants later pursue technician training, and completing this program provides an excellent foundation for career path.

No, you must first complete the program and receive your certificate. We will then submit your completion status to NAVTA, after which you will receive a registration code to begin the process.

No, the NAVTA exam fee is paid directly to NAVTA when you register for your certification exam.

A 100% refund is given with at least one (1) full business day before the start of class.  Note that non-attendance is not considered as a withdrawal. If you choose to drop from a class, you must do so 24 hours prior to the start date of the course in order to receive a full refund.