PreVet Programme

This programme provides students with a comprehensive African veterinary experience that builds both practical knowledge and a standout resume. The program is structured around three key areas: Small Animal Practice, Large Animal Practice, and Wildlife and Game Capture.

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Small Animal Practice is divided into two components: Clinic and Community Outreach.

  • Community Outreach
    Conducted in rural areas, this aspect is one of the most important, as South Africa has a large split in terms of socio economics, and as such, many people cannot afford to help their animals when it comes to their health. Safari4u visits townships regularly to assist in anti-parasite treatment (dipping and dosing), wound care, community education on handling and treatment of pets and animals, and follow-up treatments as needed.
  • Clinic Work
    Done on a case-by-case basis and may involve observing a vet in the treatment of an animal under the care of our charity, East Coast Animal Care, or laboratory work, such as learning about microscope work through faecal floats, stains, etc. Lectures relevant to clinical work may also be hosted for topics such as Southern African diseases, suturing, CPR, and more.

Large Animal Practice involves the livestock and large animal aspect of veterinary work with animals. It includes working on commercial farms and in rural outreach areas. Animals such as cattle (beef and dairy), goats, sheep, pigs and horses are covered, and activities include dosing for endo- and ecto-parasites, artificial insemination, and pregnancy testing. Most of the work is done under the supervision of the farmer and our qualified staff, but if veterinarians are needed, they are either the farmer’s personal veterinarian or provided by the programme.

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Wildlife and Game Capture consists of opportunities such as game captures, use of dart guns, darting with anti-parasitic drugs, wildlife identification, wildlife treatment, game counts, and captive animal care, including visits to captive facilities where students are given further lessons on handling (if appropriate), rescue and rehabilitation, husbandry, and common health issues of exotic animals and pets. During game captures immobilisation, sedation, and transport of African Wildlife is covered and controlled by a veterinarian. This component also brings forth issues such as conservation, captive animals, hunting, and the Five Freedoms.

Our programme has weekends free to explore the local area. All of our staff have travelled around the area, so if there is a particular activity you’re interested in, chat to us and we can recommend more. If you are continuing your travels, we can also recommend things further afield.

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Add-On Courses

These courses are run in co-operation with external operators through our management and, as such, have set dates. Should prospective students have a particular interest in a course, and numbers allow, we may be able to add additional dates depending on the operator’s availability. The courses include:

Comming Soon

We are also excited to have 2 additional courses we are currently in talks about running, including

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All students will be given a certificate of attendance, signed by the assessor running the programme. Should the course require an exam for completion, pending the passing of the exam, this will be upgraded to a course completion certificate. 

In terms of the AI and PD courses, these qualifications can be listed on their CVs and used in their portfolio of qualifications. Gaining hands-on experience in these skills is crucial for students. The course serves as a valuable first step, enabling students to tell farmers, technicians, and vets that they have the foundational knowledge. This can help them find opportunities for further practice in their home country, which is essential for completing a refresher course and earning a full qualification. With additional practice, this qualification may be utilised in South African borders.

 

We also have an offer for any South Africans wanting to join an add-on course. South African citizens or foreigners with permanent residency or a visa entitling them to stay for over a 1 year period will be given the opportunity to join just the add-on courses without the requirement of staying with the PreVet Programme as well. The caveat for this is that they must transport themselves to and from the Add-On Course location. We will provide details (times, locations, etc) on request for this. All meals and accommodation during the course are still provided. Should they wish to also join the PreVet Programme, they are of course welcome to book at the standard rates.

If you’re interested in more information about our PreVet programme or the future add-on courses, please contact us!

Example PreVet Programme

Monday

Arrivals, Community work (SMALL ANIMAL)

Tuesday

Pig artificial Insemination and iron injections (LARGE ANIMAL)

Aquarium hands-on behind-the- scenes tour (WILDLIFE)

Wednesday

Commercial Cows – Vaccinations and Anti-parasite treatments (LARGE ANIMAL)

Dairy hands-on behind-the-scenes tour (LARGE ANIMAL)

Trivia Night

Thursday

Dart Gun lecture and practical (WILDLIFE)

Game Capture Lecture (WILDLIFE)

Friday

Capture, immobilization, and transport (WILDLIFE)

Saturday/Sunday

Free time – weekend activities

Monday

Arrivals, Community work (SMALL ANIMAL)

Tuesday

Community cows – health checks and antiparasitic treatments (LARGE ANIMAL)

Community Goats – health checks and antiparasitic treatments (LARGE ANIMAL)

Wednesday

Capture, immobilization, and transport (WILDLIFE)

Thursday

Commercial Sheep – health checks and antiparasitic treatments (LARGE ANIMAL)

Reptile Park hands-on behind-the-scenes tour, reptile husbandry and venom lectures (WILDLIFE)

Karaoke Night

Friday

Anatomy lecture, dissections/ necropsy and suture practice (CLINICAL)

Faecal Floats and parasitology lecture and practical (CLINICAL)

Saturday/Sunday

Free time – weekend activities

Please note this is only an example programme as the schedule changes weekly as per the needs of the community, availability of facilities, etc.

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