Physiology and Ethology of Domstic Animals

The course is divided into three modules. The first module, Physiology and Ethology of Domestic Animals (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, fish, and birds. The second module, Veterinary ethology and Animal welfare (4 CFU), provides students with fundamental knowledge of general ethology and the ethology of selected species of veterinary interest including domestic animals and non-conventional companion animals (NCCAs), with particular emphasis on its application to the assessment and promotion of animal welfare. The third module, Veterinary Law (2 CFU), aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge of national and European law relevant to the veterinary profession. Particular attention will be devoted to the structure and functioning of the judicial system, the relationship between veterinarians and judicial authorities, as well as the legal framework governing animal protection and welfare and the main criminal offences against animals

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, students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the physiological bases of animal behavior, with particular emphasis on the underlying mechanisms, behavioral development, and major social, sexual, and parental behavior patterns. Students will also be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the scientific methods used to study and assess animal behavior, as well as the principles underlying the collection and interpretation of behavioral data. For the Veterinary law module, students should acquire the fundamental principles of law and the main legal provisions relevant to the veterinary profession, with particular reference to the relationship between veterinarians and the judicial authority, animal protection and welfare and the principal criminal offences against animals.
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 will be expected to demonstrate a sound understanding of the fundamental ethological concepts required to identify the factors influencing animal welfare and to critically interpret welfare-related issues, thereby providing a foundation for the advanced and applied training they will receive in subsequent courses throughout the veterinary curriculum. They must also develop the ability to identify, critically analyze and interpret legal sources and case law relevant to the veterinary profession, and to apply their fundamental principles in the assessment of practical cases, including those involving interactions with the judicial authority, preparing them for further study and understanding of veterinary legal medicine and legislation. These skills will facilitate further study in the field of forensic medicine and veterinary 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. In addition, students will be expected to present, in a rigorous manner and using appropriate scientific language, an ethological study independently designed and conducted as part of a group project, describing its rationale and methodology and critically discussing its results, limitations, and potential future directions. The student will also develop the ability to critically address legal issues related to the veterinary profession by identifying and interpreting the relevant legal framework across different areas of professional practice, assessing its practical implications and recognizing the professional and legal responsibilities arising from its application.
4) Communication: students will be expected to demonstrate ability to use appropriate scientific terminology and to communicate acquired knowledge clearly, accurately, and effectively. This ability will be assessed through responses to open-ended examination questions, oral presentations of reports and assignments prepared during the course, and the presentation of scientific studies and data in accordance with accepted standards of academic communication. Students will also be expected to actively participate in classroom discussions, critically and thoughtfully evaluating the cases and topics presented by the instructors.
5) Life-long Learning Skills: students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to independently expand and update their knowledge of topics related to physiology, ethology, animal welfare, and veterinary law through the identification, critical evaluation and integration of relevant scientific, legal and judicial sources. They will also be expected to apply the knowledge and methodologies acquired during the course to independently address new scientific and professional questions and challenges