Before starting Canine Therapy at Writtle University, I was excited to start this module and it has been my favourite module of the semester because we got to put our theory into practice on the greyhounds. Research has shown that linking theory and practice is important as it demonstrates your understanding of specific topics and you can apply the skills you learnt (Flinders University, 2022).
The practical sessions helped build my confidence with different dog breeds, especially greyhounds as I have never worked with them before, and they allowed me to gain more experience handling larger dogs. It is also a good revision tool for me as it helps me to visualise the muscles and bony landmarks on the dogs. Throughout the practical’s, we would work in groups and discuss what we could see. For example, when walking or trotting the dog and observing their gait, each of us would say what we saw. We also did static and dynamic assessment and compared what we saw. Research has shown that students who engaged in group work showed increased individual achievement compared to students working alone, they also improved communication skills (Washington University, n.d.).
As part of this module, we had to complete an OSPE which was 10% of our final grade, 90% being the workbook. The OSPE showed that we could confidently handle dogs and the workbook allowed us to do our own research to expand our existing knowledge. We learnt how to perform health checks and administer first aid in a canine emergency. We got to learn how to correctly bandage on the greyhounds and perform CPR on dummies. The 3 aims of first aid are to preserve life, prevent suffering and prevent the situation from deteriorating and the 4 rules of first aid are to keep calm, maintain the airway, control any haemorrhage, and seek assistance if needed. However, under the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966, only licensed vets can carry out surgeries, perform diagnostic tests, and prescribe and administer medication (Steroblast Healthcare, 2021).
The way the practical’s were planned worked well for me as I am a visual learner. We first learnt about the topic in the lecture and then in the practical’s, Meghan (the lecturer) demonstrated bandaging, health checks and CPR first then we had to repeat this and continue practicing.
In our lectures, we revised muscles, fascia, joints, and bony landmarks we had previously learnt in functional anatomy, we learnt how to perform static and dynamic assessments, how to palpate, common injuries in working dogs, and common pathologies. My favourite lecture was learning about working dogs because I compete in agility with my dogs and my dad goes shooting with my German shorthaired pointer.
Reference List:
Flinders University (2022). LINKING THEORY AND PRACTICE WHY DO WE LINK THEORY AND PRACTICE? [online] Available at: https://students.flinders.edu.au/content/dam/student/slss/academic-writing/linking-theory-and-practice.pdf.
Steroblast Healthcare (2021). The 3 Aims of First Aid in Animals and The Law | Steroplast Healthcare. [online] www.steroplast.co.uk. Available at: https://www.steroplast.co.uk/knowledge-base/aims-of-first-aid-in-animals-and-the-law.html.
Washington University (n.d.). Benefits of Group Work. [online] Center for Teaching and Learning. Available at: https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/benefits-of-group-work/.