Location: Thomas River, Cathcart, South Africa
Duration: 2-3 weeks (You choose)
Animal types: Small animal, large animal and Wildlife
Experience: None to Qualified
Any Veterinary professionals or students such as aspiring students, students in pre-veterinary school, students in Vet nursing/tech school, animal enthusiasts, qualified Vet nurses/techs and qualified Veterinarians are welcome
The Africa Vet Experience Program
Gain invaluable hands-on experience with small animals, large animals and wildlife!! Participants will immerse themselves in the beautiful farming industry of South Africa, engaging in both practical and theoretical lessons that provide insight into the roles of any veterinary professional. Through hands-on experience with various livestock and wildlife species, interactive lectures, and practical, participants will acquire invaluable skills and knowledge. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to explore diverse cultures, travel across the Eastern Cape region, and work within different livestock farms and game reserves, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of livestock and wildlife.
Students are taken daily to different activities to gain hands on experience in four different areas in the field:
- Farm work: Students stay on a beautiful sheep farm and spend a lot of the time working with a range of livestock species such as cattle, sheep and also horses
- Community work: Students really make a difference and help treat the small animals who have no access to veterinary care in the surrounding communities.
- African wildlife: Students may take part in the odd wildlife capture alongside a Vet or professional game capture team, assisting in capturing the animals, treating or loading the animal and monitoring the animals vitals if it has been tranquilized. It is a adrenaline filled adventure unique to South Africa’s wildlife management!
- Clinic work: Students work under and with qualified vets in a clinic setting to gain the experience of clinical work and learn and participate in consultations, surgeries and monitoring.
DATES
You Choose 2 or 3 weeks
The vet experience course starts on Monday morning and runs every Monday to Saturday! Sunday’s are up for you to explore Thomas River! We ask you to arrive on Mondays and depart Mondays.
Program runs once a month, from March-December! Please contact us for exact dates
From June 2024 we will be offering a BRAND-NEW Wildlife Management and conservation course to add on to your Vet experience course! The Wildlife management and conservation course takes place across the road from the wildlife capture course site done in Week 2! It is OPTIONAL and great for a full Livestock and Wildlife conservation experience if you want to extend your stay in South Africa for another one or two weeks.
The dates for the Wildlife management and conservation course may be flexible. Just contact us and we can see what we can try do! For example you can do one week conservation BEFORE the Vet experience program if you need or want to come earlier.
The Wildlife management and conservation experience starts on Monday morning and runs every Monday to Friday! Weekends are are up for you to explore the Wild-coast area with Safaris, horse-riding on the beach, Giraffe interaction, or more!
Prices
We are still accepting applicants for 2024!
The fee for this program covers accommodation, meals, all the medication and equipment used on the program, all transport on the program and the airport transfers. The 2 week Vet experience program is $2,400. This fee is paid in separate payments. To secure your spot in the course, a $400 fee is required. The remaining balance is due 8 weeks before your arrival date and can be paid in one or two installments, depending on your financial preferences. The 3 week program is $3600. $600 to secure a spot for the year and separate installments for the balance, or whatever suits your financial preferences!
Have more questions or need more information?
CONTACT US BELOW FOR THE BROCHURE
The program can be done from 2-3 weeks and the program includes but is not limited to:
- Pathology and Anatomy
- Parasitology
- African animal diseases
- Animal Husbandry
- Animal Nutrition
- Livestock Production Management
- Wildlife Capture and Transportation
- Horse physiotherapy
Daily Activities:
Community/Village and farm work
- Injecting, dipping, and providing other preventative healthcare to a range of livestock species.
- Learning about common diseases in livestock and learning about illnesses and diseases specific to South Africa.
- Treating and preventing endo + Ecto-parasites in livestock.
- Hoof trimming – sheep and goats.
- Safe handling and husbandry of small and large animals.
- Lectured tours around the farms.
- Assisting and learning about herd health.
- Pregnancy testing cattle and sheep via manual palpation and ultrasound scans.
- Lambing at local sheep farms.
- Treating minor injuries.
- Administering preventative healthcare such as de-worming, and giving basic veterinary treatment to dogs and other animals in the local communities where these animals would usually have usually had no access to veterinary care.
- Learning and practicing how to administer various forms of parasite control to a range of species.
- Providing basic wound care and first aid.
- Experience traditional life in both rural communities.
- Volunteer at sterilization drives with dogs and horses, assisting the vets with peri-operative care before, during and after surgery. (Occasionally)
Wildlife work
- Game capture with different African species
- Learning all about chemical immobilization
Clinical work
- Assisting in Surgeries under Vet supervision
- Assisting with anesthetic monitoring.
- Learning about common diseases and illnesses in a range of different species.
- Clinical examinations on patients, including temperature, pulse, and respiration.
- Peri-operative care of patients, including recovery after surgery.
- Assisting and observing during consultations.
- Lab work – including looking at blood smears and performing faecal analysis.
- Lectures form vets or nurses on a range of clinical subjects.
- Analyzing x-rays.
DATES
March- December
OPTIONAL ADD ON FOR ONE OR MORE WEEKS IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Students are welcome to add on this course for an additional charge to their Vet experience program
For example, 3 week Vet experience program + 1 week Wildlife management and conservation experience
View Wildlife Management and conservation course