Distance Education
Program
Do you see animals with behaviour
problems in practice? Do you feel
confident in the advice you offer?
Do you want to be able to develop
an effective and realistic treatment
plan for your patient?
Behavioural
Medicine
at a glance:
Tutor:
Dr Kersti SekselCommences:
February 2014No of Modules:
10No of Workshops:
1Price:
$5485 Early Bird Option 1
Distance Education
Program
Learning Outcomes
By completing this course you can expect to:● Significantly improve your ability to help your clients better understand their pet’s behaviour.
● Further your understanding of the basics of behavioural medicine and the close relationship between behaviour and organic disease.
● Develop your skills in differentiating behaviour problems from problem behaviours, to maximise treatment success.
● Learn how to diagnose behavioural problems in most domestic species.
● Improve your knowledge of psychotropic medication that is used to treat behavioural problems including: when to use medication, which one and why.
● Gain exposure to the latest updates in behavioural medicine.
● Interact with other veterinarians who have similar interests in behavioural medicine.
Course Modules
Module 1 Domestication, Genetic Influences Module 2 Learning Theory 1
Module 3 Learning Theory 2 Module 4 Neurology
Module 5 Therapeutics 1 Module 6 Therapeutics 2 Module 7 Clinical Examinations Module 8 Anxiety Disorders Module 9 Aggression Problems Module 10 Common Problems
Distance Education Program
Dr Kersti Seksel
BVSc.(Hons) MRCVS MA (Hons) FACVSc (Animal Behaviour) Dipl ACVB CMAVA Dip ECVBM-CA
Kersti graduated in Veterinary Science with honours from Sydney University and became very interested in animal behaviour while working overseas. To further her knowledge she went back to university graduating from Macquarie University with a BA in behavioural sciences with a major in psychology. In 1992 she began developing the program of Puppy Preschools® in veterinary hospitals around Australia, and while no longer running these programs, regularly remains actively involved in their development. This interest led her to complete a MA (Hons) degree by thesis on the long and short term behavioural effects of puppy socialisation and training programs.
She is a registered veterinary specialist in Animal Behaviour, a fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in animal behaviour, a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviourists and a diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Behaviour. She is a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour, member of the Australasian
Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and the Delta Society. She has studied at Cornell University, USA, University of Pennsylvania, USA, Guelph University, Canada and Queensland University, Australia. In 1999 she spent seven months on faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, based in the Department of Clinical Studies, Animal Behavior Clinic.
Dr Seksel is the director of a behavioural referral practice in Sydney and also works out of the Melbourne Veterinary Specialist centre. She is actively involved in developing Puppy Preschool® and Kitten Kindy® training
programs for veterinarians and veterinary nurses. She teaches the Centre for Veterinary Education, Sydney University Distance Education Course in Behavioural Medicine and tutors in the North American Veterinary Post Graduate Course in Behavioral Medicine. Kersti has presented at conferences and meetings in Australia, NZ, UK, Japan, China, Taiwan, Europe, South Africa, Canada and USA, to name a few. She has published numerous papers on animal behaviour in scientific journals, magazines and periodicals, and is a regular contributor to print and electronic media. Currently she is a regular presenter on ABC radio on pet care and behaviour and behaviour problems.
Distance Education Program
Testimonials
It was a challenge for me to start writing assignments after nearly 25yrs but once I got into the swing of things it quickly became quite exciting. I feel that the service I am providing to my pets and their owners is so much better now. I would recommend to anyone interested in Behaviour that this course is well worth while.
Nicola Wilson 2012
Course Program
Module 1 February: Background
● Domestication
● Genetic influences
● Developmental periods
● The senses
Module 2 March: Learning Theory 1 Types of learning including:
● Imprinting
● Classical conditioning
● Operant conditioning Module 3 April: Learning Theory 2
● Punishment
● Reinforcement
● Shaping
● Extinction, etc. Module 4 May: Neurology
● Neuroanatomy
● Neurophysiology
● Neuroendocrinology
Distance Education Program
Course Program (Continued)
Module 5 June: Therapeutics 1● Role of psychotropic medication
● Types of medications including:
● Benzodiazepines
● TCAs
● SSRIs
Module 6 July: Therapeutics 2
● Other commonly used medications
● Less commonly used medications Module 7 August: Clinical Examination
● Human animal bond
● Examination,Handling and restraint
● Initial assessment and plan
● Medical problems and relationship with behaviour Module 8 September: Anxiety Disorders
● Treatment options
● Separation anxiety
● Noise phobias
● Obsessive compulsive disorders Module 9 October: Aggressive Behaviours
● Classification
● Diagnosis
● Treatment options
Module 10 November: Other Important Behavioural Issues
● Management techniques including:
● Environmental enrichment
● Common problems
● Puppy pre school
● Kitten kindy
Distance Education Program
Recommended Reading List
Recommended Reference Sources
1 Domestic Animal Behaviour for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists Houpt, Iowa State University Press, 2011
2 Handbook of Behaviour Problems of the Dog and Cat Landsberg, G., Hunthausen, W., Ackerman L.
Butterworth Heineman, 2003
3 Clinical Behavioural Medicine for Small Animals Overall, K. Mosby, St Louis, 1997
4 BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine Horwitz, DF; Mills, DS; Heath, S (Eds)
British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2010 (In CVE)
Additional Reading - good for the bookshelf
1. Animal Behaviour-An Evolutionary Approach Alcock, J. Sinauer Associates Inc, Massachusetts
2. Neuroscience-exploring the brain Bear, M., Connors, B, & Paradiso, M.Williams & Wilkins Baltimore
3. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine, 2nd edition. Edts Horwitz D. Mills D, 2009
4. Pet Behaviour Protocols. What to Say, What to Do, When to Refer. Hetts, S. AAHA Press Lakewood, Colorado, 1999
5. Domestic Animal Behaviour and Welfare, CAB International, 4th edition Fraser, A F, Broom DM. (2007)
6. Handbook of Applied Dog Training Vol 1: Adaptation and Learning. Ames, Lindsay, S R.(2000) IA: Iowa State University Press
7. Handbook of Applied Dog Training Vol 2: Etiology and Assessment. Ames, Lindsay, S R.(2001) IA: Iowa State University Press
8. Manual of Parrot Behavior. Luescher AU (ed, 2006). Ames: Blackwell 9. An Introduction to Behavioural Endocrinology Blackwell Nelson, R. Sinauer Associates Inc, Massachusetts, 2005
Distance Education Program
Distance Education courses are designed to provide structure and
flexibility to your professional development. The courses are based on a 10 module program starting in February. Course material consists of notes, assignments and supplemental journal reading.
There are no formal exams. Instead there is ongoing assessment and feedback from your tutor.
You can access your course material online at any time.
The fundamental advantage of our programs is the guided approach to learning.
● Notes are expertly written and updated regularly.
● Individual feedback and advice will be provided by your tutor following the completion of each module.
● Email discussion forums can complement your learning experience. Workshops are an integral part of the Distance Education Program.
● This course includes one two-day interactive workshop.
● Workshops utilise a case-based approach to draw out and consolidate the knowledge you have developed.
If you are a motivated, independent learner and want to get more out of your veterinary career, this is the program for you!
All courses have a limited number of places so enrol now for next year’s intake.
Distance Education
– What is it?
Distance Education Program
Technical Requirements
The Distance Education program has fairly simple technology requirements.
● You can use either a PC or a Mac to complete the course.
● These requirements are set so that you can access the homepage and the various multimedia files that are part of the course (Adobe PDF, Apple QuickTime and Microsoft Word).
● You need to be able to access the internet to complete the DE program.
● Most ‘newish’ PC and MACs will easily satisfy the minimum hardware requirements for the course. The specific hardware requirements depend on the specific programs being run. The online component can be completed in all the major internet browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Netscape (PC) or Safari and Firefox (MAC).
Software
Requirements
Throughout your course you will need the following three programs to access the course material.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
You need this program to be able to read the course notes.
You can download the latest version of the reader from Adobe at the link below:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Apple QuickTime
This program will be used to view the video included in your notes.
You can download the latest version of Apple QuickTime at the link below: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Microsoft Word or Open Office
You will need either of these programs to complete your assignments. Microsoft Word is not a free program. If you do not have Microsoft Word or a compatible program, you can download Open Office which is a free program similar to Microsoft Office. You can download Open Office from the link below: http://www.openoffice.org/
Distance Education Program
Policies
Each individual who registers for a Distance Education Program will gain electronic assess to C&T and e-library for the duration of the course.
Individuals who wish to register for Distance Education are required to pay a $1000 non-refundable deposit to secure their place in the program.
An early bird discount applies to all those who register and fully pay for a Distance Education Program by 30 June (option 1) or 31 October (option 2). Full payment for the Distance Education Program must be made by
1 December unless the payment plan option is chosen.
The closing date for registrations and payment in full for a Distance Education Program is 1 December.
Cancellation Policy
Please note that the Centre for Veterinary Education has a strict cancellation policy.
● No refunds will be offered for a cancellation received less than six weeks (42 days) prior to the course starting, or for non-participation or cancellation during the course.
● The CVE reserves the right to retain 50% of the payment received if the cancellation has been made at six weeks (42 days).
● Cancellations made more than six weeks before the course date will receive a full refund minus $1000 administration fee.
The CVE does not accept deferral of courses. You must complete your course in the year of commencement.
The Centre for Veterinary Education reserves the right to cancel a course due to insufficient registrations. Enrolment fees will be fully reimbursed if a course is cancelled by the CVE. No further claim can be raised thereafter. If a participant wishes to have their modules sent to them by courier, extra charges will be incurred for this method of delivery. The CVE will only cover normal postage including airmail of course documents.
