Prescriptions for Dip RVT courses
Compulsory:
RVT 051
Rural Animal Handling and Production
Level 5 Credit 15
Knowledge of livestock behaviour, animal handling strategies, condition scoring, and livestock
production. Skills in handling and restraining farm livestock safely, condition scoring and
recording results accurately, tail trimming, ear tagging, milking and keeping appropriate
records, at the level and professional quality required of a rural veterinary technician.
RVT 042
Anatomy and Physiology
Level 4 Credit 15
Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of livestock, post mortem procedures, feeding
principles, feed budgeting, rumen physiology, feed disorders, plants poisonous to livestock
and associated poisoning. Skills in supporting a veterinarian during post mortems, and
responding to client enquiries on animal feeding, at the level and professional quality required
of a rural veterinary technician.
RVT 053
Diseases 1
Level 5 Credit 15
Knowledge of the principles of animal diseases, safe and hygienic practices, zoonotic hazards,
veterinary medicines dispensing and administration, and vaccinations required to function
efficiently as a rural veterinary technician. Skills to identify hazards and apply safe and
hygienic practices, assess and report clinical signs of animals, carry out diagnostic sampling in
accordance with the industry standard practices, perform laboratory tests and write test
reports accurately, and dispense and administer veterinary medicines, at the level and
professional quality required of a rural veterinary technician.
RVT 054
Surgery 1 Level 5 Credit 15
Knowledge of asepsis, anaesthesia, suturing, first aid and transport of an injured animal, and
regulatory requirements relating to animal welfare and professional behaviour required of a
rural veterinary technician. Skills in preparing the surgical site, supporting a veterinarian
during surgery and bandaging, at the level and professional quality required of a rural
veterinary technician.
RVT 055
Rural Animal Reproduction
Level 5 Credit 15
Relevant knowledge of male and female animal reproductive systems and their functions;
animal reproduction cycle, factors affecting animal reproduction rates, the industry standards
of reproductive targets and management programmes for achieving those targets; non-cyclic
cows and their treatment; pregnancy maintenance, diagnosis including scanning procedures,
and abnormalities; parturition, abnormalities, and intervention procedures; neonatal
management, neonates, and weaning. Skills in supporting a veterinarian with the examination
(e.g. metrichecking) and treatment of non-cycling cows (e.g. Controlled Internal Drug Release
- CIDR), and birthing procedures; rearing and weaning calves and accurately maintaining a
range of records required, at the level and professional quality required of a rural veterinary
technician.
RVT 056
Surgery 2
Level 5 Credit 15
Knowledge of common surgical procedures performed on farm animals (e.g. castration,
caesarean, liver biopsy, vasectomy, enucleation, exploratory laparotomy), wound healing,
post-surgery complications, develveting practices, and hoof care in sheep and cattle. Skills in
disbudding calves and dehorning cattle; locomotion scoring cattle and treating minor
lameness, at the level and professional quality required of a rural veterinary technician.
RVT 057
Diseases 2
Level 5 Credit 15
Knowledge of mastitis, leptospirosis, and common equine diseases, and essential knowledge
of endo-parasitic, ecto-parasitic, exotic, zoonotic and other economically important livestock
diseases relevant to New Zealand. A clear understanding of the legal requirements, and
professional responsibilities of clinical veterinary practices and their clients. Skills in testing
milk for mastitis in accordance with industry standard procedures, carrying out intramammary therapy, vaccinating for leptospirosis; and identifying clinical signs caused by
parasites, performing diagnostic tests (i.e. FEC - McMaster Test and FECRT) and carrying out
anti-parasitic treatment, at the level and professional quality required of a rural veterinary
technician.
RVT 048
General Business Practices
Level 4 Credit 15
Knowledge and application of the communication, selling, and self-management skills,
personal qualities and professional behaviour required of a rural veterinary technician. In
addition, skills in creating client databases, entering data accurately and maintaining
computerised records for a veterinary practice (e.g. RVM, trial data and processes, pregnancy
test data, vaccination records, mastitis data); stocktaking a veterinarian’s vehicle and
preparing it for field visits, as and when necessary; using product knowledge to respond to
client queries effectively during a sales transaction in a veterinary practice; listening carefully
and dealing with customer complaints appropriately and keeping records; and using
telephone for booking appointments for veterinary procedures and managing schedules, at
the level and professional quality required of a rural veterinarian technician.