Physiology and Ethology of Domestic Animals

The course is divided into three modules. The first module, Physiology of nervous, cardiocirculatory and muscular system (6 CFU), provides students with a comprehensive overview of cellular function physiology, the nervous system and sensory organs, the blood and cardiovascular system, and the skeletal and smooth muscle cells in domestic mammals, laboratory animals, fish, and birds. Upon completion of the module, students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to understand the key physiological mechanisms underlying the functioning of organs and the systems involved. They will also be able to analyze and address physiological issues relevant to veterinary clinical practice. The second module, Veterinary ethology and animal welfare (4 CFU), provides students with foundational knowledge and skills related to the behavior of domestic animals, including specific references to certain species of new companion animals (NAC). Upon completion of the module, students will be able to identify and correctly interpret the legal provisions relevant to the veterinary profession, including regulations on animal protection and welfare, as well as offenses committed against animals. Additionally, they will develop skills useful for managing situations that require the proper application of veterinary law in a professional context. The third module, Veterinary Law (2 CFU), aims to provide students with a foundational understanding of national and European law relevant to veterinary practice. Upon completion of the module, students will be able to identify and correctly interpret the legal provisions relevant to the veterinary profession, including regulations on animal protection and welfare, as well as offenses committed against animals. Additionally, they will develop skills useful for managing situations that require the proper application of veterinary law in a professional context.

1) Knowledge and understanding: for the physiology module, students should be able to explain the basic physiological functions related to the nervous system, including neuron physiology, the spinal cord, brain (particularly the cerebellum and motor functions), and sensory organs. They should also be able to describe the basic functions of the cardiovascular system, including cardiac physiology (electrocardiography and mechanical cardiac activity with nervous control) and circulatory physiology (relationship between pressure, flow, and resistance across all circulatory districts and nervous regulation of pressure), highlighting differences among domestic mammals, birds, and fish. Additionally, students should understand the physiological bases of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle contraction in domestic mammals, fish, and birds. For the ethology module: the student is expected to demonstrate knowledge of the physiological foundations of animal behavior, with a particular focus on underlying mechanisms, development, communication, and cognitive processes. Additionally, the student must demonstrate the ability to scientifically study animal behavior. For the law module, students should acquire a basic understanding of law, the veterinarian's relationship with the judicial authority and other competent bodies and institutions, knowledge of animal welfare laws, and regulations on animal protection and welfare.
2) Applying knowledge and understanding: students must demonstrate the ability to connect various topics, such as the functions of the nervous system, particularly the hypothalamus, and different animal behaviors, such as feeding behavior or responses to temperature changes. This will enable them to adequately address subsequent studies in pathology and veterinary clinic. Students should apply ethological knowledge to improve the welfare of domestic animals, including NAC. They must also develop the ability to critically search and analyze relevant legislation and case law and refer to the judicial authority, preparing them for further study and understanding of veterinary legal medicine and legislation.
3) Critical thinking and judgment: the student will be expected to approach the study of the subject matter critically. This will include demonstrating the ability to orally present written reports during practical activities, integrating the study materials provided by the professor of physiology with independently acquired knowledge. Additionally, the student will need to present the ethological studies conducted in the veterinary ethology module. The student will also be expected to critically engage with the study of law, identifying relevant regulations pertaining to professional practice in various fields of interest, evaluating and correctly applying them, and recognizing the associated responsibilities.
4) Communication: students will need to demonstrate the use of appropriate terminology to adequately express acquired knowledge. This will be shown through responses to open questions during exams, class presentations of reports prepared during the course (which will be evaluated by professors), and active participation in class discussions, including arguing cases proposed by the professor.
5) Life-long learning skills: students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to independently expand their knowledge of topics related to physiology, ethology, and the welfare of domestic species, including exotic companion animals (NAC), as well as veterinary law.

This ability will be assessed through practical activities where students will be assigned small research projects requiring them to independently consult up-to-date scientific and legal sources (such as articles, guidelines, codes, and regulations) to address a given problem or explore a specific topic in depth. Assessment will focus on the quality of the sources selected, the student's ability to analyze the content, and their capacity to apply the information gathered to develop relevant solutions or interpretations.