Animal therapist jobs in Finland
Animal therapists provide a therapeutic treatment following veterinary diagnosis or referral.
Animal therapist - Which skills are essential?
Awareness of hygiene and bio-security measures when working with animals, including causes, transmission and prevention of diseases and use of policies, materials and equipment.
Plan and use appropriate biosafety measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure effective overall biosecurity. Maintain and follow biosecurity procedures and infection control when working with animals, including recognising potential health issues and taking appropriate action, communicating site hygiene control measures and biosecurity procedures, as well as reporting to others.
Assess the animal’s rehabilitation requirements in accordance with its current condition and according to referral from a veterinary surgeon, taking into account pre-existing health conditions e.g. diabetes, epilepsy and medication.
Physical, behavioural and environmental signs of health and ill health in various animals.
The legal boundaries, codes of professional conduct, national and EU regulatory frameworks and legal procedures of working with animals and living organisms, ensuring their welfare and health.
Universally recognized animal welfare needs as applied to species, situation and occupation. These are: need for a suitable environment need for a suitable diet need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Protect health and welfare of animals and their handlers.
The study of the mechanical, physical, bioelectrical and biochemical functioning of animals, their organs and their cells.
Ensure that animal therapy equipment is assembled and prepared for use, including personal protective equipment.
Types, methods and use of enrichment for animals to allow the expression of natural behaviour, including the provision of environmental stimuli, feeding activities, puzzles, items for manipulation, social and training activities.
Apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and work environments.
Develop a plan for the handling of animals undergoing physical rehabilitation treatment, considering: age, species, breed, temperament, surroundings, prior experiences, owner’s influence, current health status, clinical history, prescribed drugs and their effects, reason for referral for rehabilitation treatment, external influences including interaction with humans and other animals, and welfare requirements. Formulate a rehabilitation treatment plan, following referral from a veterinary surgeon.
Plan and use appropriate hygiene measures to prevent transmission of diseases and ensure an effective overall hygiene. Maintain and follow hygiene procedures and regulations when working with animals, communicate site hygiene controls and protocols to others. Manage the safe disposal of waste according to destination and local regulations.
Take responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional development based on reflection about own practice and through contact with peers and stakeholders.
Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.
Monitor animals’ physical condition and behaviour and report any concerns or unexpected changes, including signs of health or ill-health, appearance, condition of the animals' accommodation, intake of food and water and environmental conditions.
The study of animal body parts, their structure and dynamic relationships, on a level as demanded by the specific occupation.
The natural behavioural patterns of animals, i.e. how normal and abnormal behaviour might be expressed according to species, environment, human-animal interaction and occupation.
Prepare and provide information to individuals or groups of people on how to promote the health and well-being of animals, and how risks to animal health and welfare may be reduced. Provide recommendations for corrective actions.
Work safely and communicate effectively with individuals and groups of people who are in challenging circumstances. This would include recognition of signs of aggression, distress, threatening and how to address them to promote personal safety and that of others.
Animal therapist - Which skills are useful but not essential?
Use different channels and learning styles such as journals, courses, and conferences to obtain new information, knowledge, skills, and know-how in relation to working with animals.
Carry out activities according to accepted principles of right and wrong, including transparency in work practices and conduct towards clients and their animals.
Categorise and verify information about the environment and its impact on the animal. Analyse the situation, such as what the animal may want or need.
Collaborate with veterinary and other animal related professionals through communication of animal details, case records and summary reports orally or via written or electronic transfer.
Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
Direct, control or restrain some or part of an animal's, or a group of animals', movement.
Maintain a positive attitude during challenging situations such as a misbehaving animal. Work under pressure and adapt to the circumstances in a positive manner.'
Create and maintain clinical records for animals according to national regulatory requirements.
Apply osteopathic techniques and advise on and formulate plans for osteopathic treatment of animals.
Guide and support less knowledgeable or less experienced colleagues.
Make simple calculations regarding the money that should be earned in relation to the number of hours worked.
Ensure a safe and humane interaction with the animal avoiding factors that will negatively affect their behaviours. This includes the use of humane training aids/equipment, as well as explaining their use to owners/keepers, to ensure they are used appropriately and the welfare of the animal is protected.
Make use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.
Spelling and meaning of commonly used terminology of veterinary terms.
Assess the nutrition status of animals, diagnose dietary imbalances and prescribe correction.
Animal nutrition, agronomy, rural economics, animal husbandry, hygiene and bio-security, ethology, protection and herd health management.
Assist clients seeking veterinary treatment and during the provision of veterinary services. Aid clients with the care of their animals by demonstrating care techniques and use of veterinary products. Provide support during difficult situations.
Inspect the animal for any external signs of parasites, disease or injury. Use this information to determine own actions and report your findings to owners.
Practise reasoning and apply simple or complex numerical concepts and calculations.
Formulate treatment plans and provide hydrotherapy treatment.
Plan, manage and evaluate the application of the five universally recognised animal welfare needs as appropriate to species, situation and own occupation.
Make a choice from several alternative possibilities that promote the animal's well-being.
Gather information about the animal behaviour issues, interpret relevant information about the animal, assess the impact of external factors, and assess husbandry/management practices on the animal to develop a plan which tackles undesirable behaviour.
Select animals for training using selection criteria including intended outcome of training, age, temperament, species and breed differences. Selection of animals for training includes basic training or training to meet specific objectives.
Prescribe physical methods for therapy in animals, such as modification of exercise, massage, heat treatment, electrical and other wave based treatments.
Provide chiropractic treatment to animals, including designing a treatment plan and applying appropriate chiropractic techniques to animals.
Make sure animal enclosures such as habitats, terrariums, cages or kennels are in the appropriate and hygienic condition. Clean the enclosure and provide new bedding material if called for.
Develop plans for long-term care for animals, including consideration of environmental factors. Advise animal owners on long-term care.
Design a massage treatment plan, provide advice and use appropriate massage techniques on animals.
Ask questions appropriate to the setting and purpose, with the aim to elicit accurate information on the animal's health condition, in order to facilitate a correct diagnosis.
Develop plans and strategies to deal with the animal in order to achieve established goals and optimal results.
Safe work practices in a veterinary setting in order to identify hazards and associated risks so as to prevent accidents or incidents. This includes injury from animals, zoonotic diseases, chemicals, equipment and working environment.
Observe and evaluate the behaviour of animals in order to work with them safely and recognise deviations from normal behaviour that signal compromised health and welfare.
Implement training programmes for animals for basic training purposes or to meet specific objectives, following a developed training programme, and reviewing and recording progress against set objectives.
Adapt human physical therapy techniques to increase function and mobility of joints and muscles in animals. The goal of physical therapy for animals is to improve quality of life and decrease pain. Cooperate with veterinarians and owners to design a physiotherapy treatment and care package.