Physiology and Ethology of Domestic Animals

The course is divided in three parts: the first (6 CFU) provides students with an overview of the physiology of the cellular function, the nervous system and sensory organs, the blood and cardio-circulatory system, the skeletal and smooth muscle cells; the second (4 CFU) provides students with knowledge of general ethology of domestic animals and with proper application of such knowledge in Veterinary Medicine for animal welfare; the third part (2 CFU) aims to provide students with the basics of national and European law, which will be useful to get to know, understand and apply, the existing body of Veterinary legislation regarding exercise of the Veterinary profession.

1) Knowledge and understanding: the student must demonstrate knowledge of the basic physiological functions related to the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and skeletal muscle, as well as the knowledge of the physiological bases of domestic animal behaviour and welfare; the student must also acquire the basics of law, notions on the veterinarian's relationship with the judicial authority, and the knowledge of the laws relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals and to the protection of animal welfare. 2) Appling knowledge and understanding: the student must demonstrate to possess the indispensable concepts to establish links between the various topics covered, and in particular between physiology and animal behaviour, in order to adequately deal with the studies of pathology and veterinary clinic; the student must also acquire the ability to critically analyze the regulations of interest and the relevant case law, and to be able to relate with the judicial authority, in order to be able to deal with the study and understanding of Veterinary legal medicine and legislation. 3) Making judgments: the student must be able to deal critically with the study of the subject, demonstrating that he / she can integrate the information on the material provided by the teachers with the recommended texts, through the preparation of written reports or analysis of behavioural videos, presented orally during the exercise activities. The student must also be able to orient himself/herself in identifying the regulations relating to professional practice, in the various sectors of interest, as well as in weighing them and applying them correctly, also identifying the resulting responsibilities; these skills will be fostered through the examination and discussion of legislative and jurisprudential texts, group comparison and analysis of case studies. 4) Communication: the student must demonstrate to be able to use an appropriate terminology, which allows him/her to express the acquired knowledge in an appropriate manner. The demonstration can take place through the answers to the open questions during the exam, through the exposure to the class of the reports prepared during the course, which will be subject to evaluation by the teachers, as well as through active participation in classroom discussions, by arguing the cases proposed by the teacher. 5) Life-long learning skills: the student must demonstrate to be able, in total autonomy, to increase the knowledge of topics related to the physiology, ethology and welfare of small and large domestic animals, and Veterinary law, through the research of laws and case law, thanks to the implementation of what has been learned during the exercises performed within the course, in order to develop application abilities, as well as effective problem solving skills.