Canine Anatomy and Physiology Course Syllabus
Students are required to purchase the following textbooks (Click on title to order):
- Tartaglia, Louise and Waugh, Anne. Veterinary Physiology and Applied Anatomy - Revised Reprint: A Textbook for Veterinary Nurses and Technicians
Butterworth-Heinemann, London England, 2002
- Lane, D.R. and Guthrie, S. Dictionary of Veterinary Nursing
(2nd Edition), Butterworth-Heinemann, London England, 2004
- Bowden, Sally Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology - A Workbook for Students
, Butterworth-Heinemann, London England, 2003
- Kanier, Robert A. and McCracken, Thomas O. Dog Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas
, Teton NewMedia, Jackson, Wyoming, 2003
Recommended textbooks:
- Lane, D.R. and Cooper, B. Veterinary Nursing
(3rd Edition), Butterworth-Heinemann, London England, 2002.
- Goody, Peter C. Dog Anatomy
, A Pictorial Approach to Canine Anatomy, J.A. Allen & Company, London, England, 1997
Lesson 1
Instructor Introduction
Student Introductions
Course Overview – textbooks (required vs. recommended), course manual provided by Treetops, online interaction / communication
Course Requirements regarding attendance, homework assignments and testing
Contact information / Instructor office hours for answering questions and assisting with homework issues
Lesson 2
Overview of anatomy and physiology
The cell
Lesson 3
Tissues
Skin
Lesson 4
Muscular system
Lesson 5
Skeletal system
Lesson 6
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Lesson 7
Lymphatic system
Blood
Lesson 8
Nervous system
Lesson 9
Endocrine system
Lesson 10
Urinary system
Liver
Lesson 11
General review of all course material
Lesson 12
Knowledge Assessment / Exam
Course Evaluation
Material presentation – students will be able to download the working manuals to compliment the four required textbooks. During class I’ll be using predominantly whiteboard. I will also use scans of relevant diagrams. Video elements will be limited to Lessons 4 and 5 (muscular system and the skeletal system).
Muscular video will show the dog being stretched – side to side, bow and full hind leg stretches. Also, a demo of a lame dog vs. a sound dog will be used to show differences in muscle movement and compensation.
Skeletal video will have the skeleton moved to show the limited ROM of the skeleton and impact of what we call normal movement on the skeletal tissue. Videos will show the difference between a large dog and a small dog in terms of demands on the skeleton. Video will be of a large dog sitting getting a treat vs. a small dog getting a treat. This will show the hyperextension of the cervical spine in the small dog and will lead into discussion of skeletal deformities and wear and tear. Also another video of a dog swimming and the misalignment of the spine in order to accomplish this activity in a non-swimming breed vs. a swimming breed will be presented.

