VetSalus has launched a new online course for farm vets and paraprofessionals centred on climate change and animal health and welfare.
The ‘Livestock and Climate Change – A Veterinary Perspective’ course is now open for registration.
The course aims to enable farm vets to explore animal welfare, nutrition and husbandry in the context of climate change and supply them with knowledge and confidence in their work.
The course has six modules and is expected to take up to three months to complete by remote learning – which has been employed to fit around busy work schedules.
The course will provide participants with a LANTRA-accredited certification upon completion.
Chair of VetSalus, Lewis Griffiths, said: “The veterinary profession has always had a critical role to play in technology transfer and the development of new farming systems.
“This course will equip vets to assist their farm clients in the incredibly important work of adapting to more sustainable production.
“I believe this is one of the most important courses to be developed for farm based veterinarians in recent years.”
Course syllabus
The modules featured in the course include:
- ‘Introduction to Sustainability for Veterinary Professionals’;
- ‘Emissions from Livestock Production’;
- ‘Housed Livestock Systems – Welfare, Nutrition and Emissions’;
- ‘Impact of Disease State on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock’;
- ‘Advantages and Trade-offs of Grazing Systems in Mitigating Climate Change’.
Students will join an international community of veterinary professionals all taking the course at the same time, and will be invited to a community forum, to ask questions and build connections.
Each module features a ‘Module Champion’ from the wider VetSalus team, who will highlight the ways in which the course content is relevant to and can be applied to veterinary work.
VetSalus executive officer Rune Friis Kristensen said: “Livestock vets play an important role in the discussion around/about sustainability.
“Whether it is discussion with farmers, colleagues, academia or future vets it is pivotal that livestock vets know what they talk about when addressing emission issues.
“We know from surveys that the key decision maker when it comes to animal health and robustness is the vet, and more robust animals are always more sustainable.
“This course will provide learners with the knowledge that without a doubt is expected of vets in 2024.”
The course is aimed at veterinary professionals and those working in vet-led businesses, and whilst there are no specific entry requirements, all students are expected to have undertaken an undergraduate degree, technical qualification as a paraprofessional, or a relevant diploma.
The price of the course will be £495 +VAT per student (registered overseas businesses may be eligible for a VAT exclusive price). Local currency pricing is available upon request.
