Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Animal health advice may include:
animal husbandry:
behaviour
common ailments
housing
local law requirements
nutrition
potential health challenges
responsible pet ownership
routine elective surgery
breeding issues:
artificial insemination
desexing
care of newborn and orphan animals
oestrus cycle
whelping
control of external and internal parasites
disease processes
fees for standard procedures
first aid advice regarding the emergency treatment of animals
optimum health parameters
poisons information
post-operative hygiene, bandage, splint and cast care
potential hazards of the use of restricted agents
pre- and post-operative information
training and socialisation
turnaround times for procedures required
vaccination schedules, including heartworm preventative systems.
Workplace health and safety risks when dealing with animals may include:
animal bites, kicks, scratches and crush injuries
biological hazardous waste
handling of chemicals and medicines
inhalation of aerosol particles
manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting
release of infective agents (animal and human)
slippery or uneven surfaces
zoonoses.
Animal care product advice may include:
health maintenance and disease preventative programs
internal and external parasite control regimes
non-restricted preparations
selection and use of pet accessories
use of grooming equipment and topical applications
vaccination regimes.
Animal care products may include:
bedding
enrichment tools and toys
grooming aids
handling tools
housing
restraints.
Animal nutritional requirements advice may include:
information on:
additives
adverse reactions
animal maintenance
environmental interaction factors
feeding regimes
feeding levels
ingredient types
lactation and gestation
livestock forage
prescriptive requirements and drug interactions
supplements and commercial foods
surgical rehabilitation
treats
use of home-prepared rations
information on prescribed diets:
diets necessary with disease
vegetarian diets
obesity and weight reduction diets
life stage diets (young, active or old)
clinical nutritional advice:
feeding regimes for:
anorexia
cardiovascular disease
diabetes mellitus
gastrointestinal tract disorders
hospital feeding
intensive care
malnutrition
neoplasia
obesity
oral health
pancreatitis
senior and puppy diets
urinary system disease
urolithiasis.
Inappropriate animal behaviour may include:
aggression
anxiety
barking
destructive behaviour
digging holes
feather picking (birds)
phobias
vocalisation
wind sucking.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit
The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this Unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this Unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:
determine patient details, needs and requirements from interview and clinic records
communicate effectively with clients and provide advice on animals' health, nutrition and behaviour and on animal care products in accordance with clinic policy and procedures and in a competent manner
maintain accurate patient records.
The skills and knowledge required to provide specific animal care advice must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment for this Unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a veterinary practice or in a situation that reproduces normal work conditions.
There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.
Method of assessment
To ensure consistency of performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than two occasions over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, patients, cases and responsibilities and over a number of assessment activities.
The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this Unit are:
written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge
observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks
simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions
third-party evidence
workplace documentation
portfolio.
This Unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other Units of Competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.
Guidance information for assessment
Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).