35596 - Semeiotics and Internal Medicine of Companion Animals

Learning outcomes

The introduction of a course in Semiotics and Veterinary Internal Medicine of Companion Animals, with a focus on pets, addresses the need to provide fourth-year students with specific training that will support their successful progression to the Clinical and Therapeutic Medicine of Companion Animals course in the following year.

In particular, this course aims to equip students with the ability to integrate semiological data with knowledge of the most significant medical diseases affecting the various organ systems. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret symptoms associated with diseases of different organs and understand the etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation of the main medical conditions most commonly affecting dogs and cats.

 

Course contents

This course is part of the Integrated Course 35541 - Semiotics, Medical Pathology, Radiology, and Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, which contributes to the attainment of the following ESEVT Day One Competences: 1.6, 1.9, 1.10, and 1.18 (see the dedicated page below for more details).

Upon completion of the Integrated Course unit, students will know the principal diseases affecting pets and the tools used to diagnose them

Module 1: M1 - Prof. Marco Pietra; Module 2: M2 - Prof. Francesco Dondi

Lectures

1. Introduction (M1)

Lesson topic: introduction to the subject, definition of the common points with previous and future exams, explanation of the structure of the exam. Scheduled hours 2

2. Gastroenterology (M1)

Lesson topic: Regurgitation. Scheduled hours 2

3. Gastroenterology (M1)

Lesson topic: Vomiting / diarrhea Scheduled hours 5

4. Gastroenterology (M1)

Lesson topic: Acute abdomen Scheduled hour 1

5. Gastroenterology / cardiology (M1)

Lesson topic: Increase in abdomen volume. Scheduled hours 4

6. Pneumology (M1)

Lesson topic: Sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal occlusion Scheduled hours 2

7. Pneumology (M1)

Lesson topic: Cough Scheduled hours 3

8. Pneumology / cardiology (M1)

Lesson topic: Dyspnea Scheduled hours 3

9. Cardiology / endocrinology (M1)

Lesson topic: Asthenia / syncope Scheduled hours 2

10. Endocrinology (M1)

Lesson topic: Diabetes mellitus, Cushing's Syndrome, Addison's disease, Hypertyroidism, Hypotyroidism. Scheduled hours 5

11. Nephrology (M2)

Lesson topic: Polyuria / polydipsia Scheduled hours 4

12. Nephrology / Urology (M2)

Lesson topic: Anuria / dysuria / stranguria Scheduled hours 3

13. Hematology (M2)

Lesson topic: Alteration of the mucosal membrane color Scheduled hour 1

15. Hematology (M2)

Lesson topic: Lymphadenomegaly Scheduled hour 1

 

Practical sessions:

1. Gastroenterology - practice (M1)

Topic: Gastroenterological clinical examination. Scheduled hours 12

2. Cardiology / pneumology - practice ( M1)

Topic: Cardiological and penumological examination. Scheduled hours 12

3. Endocrinology - practice (M1)

Topic: Visit of patients with endocrinological diseases Scheduled hours 12

4. Nephrology - practice (M2)

Lesson topic: Visit of patients with nephro / urological diseases Scheduled hours 12

 

The Syllabus of the course unit and the list of EAEVE Day One Competences that the course unit contributes to achieving can be viewed on the dedicated page.

http://corsi.unibo.it/singlecycle/VeterinaryMedicine/course-units-syllabi-and-day-one-competences

Readings/Bibliography

RW Nelson and CG Couto Small Animal Internal Medicine V ed Elsevier srl

Schaer M, Gaschen F, Walton S. Clinical Medicine of the Dog and Cat Fourth ed. CRC Press

Fracassi F. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Algorithms in Internal Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Edra Publishing

Teaching methods

The course consists of 38 hours of lectures and 12 hours of practical sessions. To allow for direct student participation in the practical activities, each cohort is divided into four groups, and the sessions are repeated for each group of students. The practical sessions are designed to enable students to acquire the necessary skills to detect clinical signs in patients and formulate differential diagnoses.

Considering the types of activities and teaching methods adopted, attendance for this course requires the successful completion of Modules 1 and 2 via e-learning, and Module 3 on health and safety training in study environments. Information about the schedule and access to Module 3 is available in the dedicated section of the Degree Program website.

Participation in practical and laboratory sessions requires wearing a lab coat and appropriate footwear. Suitable personal protective equipment (PPE), such as disposable latex gloves, will be provided as needed.

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning for Course 35596 — Semiotics and Medical Pathology of Companion Animals, part of Integrated Course 35541 — Semiotics, Medical Pathology, Radiology, and Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, consists of one component.

This component consists of an oral examination aimed at verifying the acquisition of the required knowledge. At least two broad topics will be examined, and the oral examination will last approximately 30 minutes.

In evaluating the oral exam, the instructor will use the following grading scale:

- Basic understanding of only a few course topics; analysis skills emerge only with the instructor’s help; generally correct language → 18–22

- Limited knowledge of several topics; independent analysis only on procedural issues; correct language use → 23–26

- Broad knowledge of course topics; ability to make autonomous critical judgments; mastery of discipline-specific terminology → 27–29

- Comprehensive understanding of course content; fully independent critical analysis and connections; excellent command of terminology and argumentation skills → 30–30 with honors.

The result of the oral exam will be communicated at the end of the session. The minimum passing grade is 18/30.

Negative results are not graded numerically but recorded as “withdrawn” or “failed” in the electronic transcript on AlmaEsami, and do not affect the student’s academic record.

Grades for individual parts and the final grade will be published on the AlmaEsami platform (https://almaesami.unibo.it/?lang=en ) within 5 working days of the date of the exam.

Students may reject the final grade 1 time, by informing the course examiner via email within 5 working days.

The designated course contact for this course is Prof. Marco Pietra

Students can register for exams through the AlmaEsami platform (http://almaesami.unibo.it/ ). Exams are scheduled during the designated periods in the academic calendar. Additional sessions are available for students beyond the standard program duration.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

With regard to the learning assessment, the use of AI is prohibited. Any use of AI constitutes a breach of academic integrity.

 

Teaching tools

Every lesson will associate to several movies about the main diseases studied.

All the lessons will be downloaded on Virtuale (https://virtuale.unibo.it), a program that will also host virtual clinical examination exercises.

In case of difficulty understanding the course content, the instructor is available for clarification meetings, which must be scheduled via email.

 

Office hours

See the website of Marco Pietra

https://www.unibo.it/sitoweb/marco.pietra/didattica

 

Office hours

See the website of Marco Pietra

See the website of Francesco Dondi