Academic courses
July 31, 2024 2025-07-31 11:00Academic courses
Academic courses – Anatomy, Physiology and Animal Science department
Anatomy of Domestic Animals (Systematic Anatomy)
The straight aim of the anatomy of domestic animals coursе is to give to the student a thoroughly notion about the structure of a living organism, what is necessary precondition for understanding, study and success mastering of large part of the rest preclinical and clinical subjects in veterinary medicine education. The anatomy as a basic biological subject and hers terminology have got to contribute about widening of biological view of life and medical culture of the students. By reason of that the present programme is prepared on the next basic positions:
- The anatomical subject is too large and extensive because of that the knowledge are limited only of the essential, importantly and necessary that the students have to learn with a view of their solid theoretical and practical training.
- With a view of the requirements that are put before the vet surgeon practice, on the lectures the basic structures are discussed about four animals: ruminants (calf, sheep and goat), pig, horse and carnivores (dog and cat), but cut in short facts about structure of some organs of rabbit and man and also some wild mammals, with a view of theirs evolution and differences in the structure. In addition go thoroughly into to learn more important systems of the poultry, as skeletal, digestive, respiratory and urogenital system, with a view of more frequent diseases. These systems are studied thoroughly of the hen and waterfowl – duck and goose and some speciality of the structure of the pigeon, turkey and guinea-hen. In detail are studied theirs organs, what had different in the structure with the mammals.
- The presentation of the material are underlined relationship of the organism our parts and permanently connection with surroundings.
The straight aim of the lectures are orientated the students by less understanding and mastering of the material, as exercises, as independent work with textbooks of veterinary anatomy. They are affected peculiarity of the structure of the organs, what are difficult to understanding.
A part of the material is presented only on the practices.
On the practical exercises the students have the opportunity for active participation. At the time allocated for exercises with practical matters, which are necessary and required to be examined. In non-teaching time the students able to work independently over anatomical casts as import and export them in the freezer, which is located in the dissecting room.
Lecturers:
Basics of Game Nutrition
In the recent years thе interest in big game and hunting useful birds has increased significantly. There were created different sized structures hunting – hunting ground, private farms, need of trained personnel with high qualification. One of the decisive factors for the correct game reproduction is to provide enough food in habitats, as well as corectly and nourishing nurtition of game subject to the farm breeding ( in enclosure )
The aim of the course “Fundamentals of Game Nutrition” is to obtain knowledge about chemical composition, energy and protein value of food and forages, which the game uses ,as well as their degradation and transformation in the body. Forage characteristics of natural habitats, natural and artificial meadows and pastures, game fields, natural and artificial remise, as well as used compound feeds and supplements. Masters Students acquire knowledge of the needs for energy and nutrients for various game species, considering the season, type of breeding ( living free, in enclosure or farms ), physiological condition, age and gender.
Foundation of knowledge on the course “Fundamentals of Game Nutrition ” will enable the training of highly qualified specialists working in the shooting stations, hunting ground and game farms. The knowledge and skills will enable future specialists to assess and balance the natural food base for hunting ground and on this basis to plan the necessary feed type and quantity depending on the type and abundance of game and be able to prepare various kinds of canned forages and compound feeds. On the other hand the knowledge on the subject will enable future specialists to give qualified advice to farmers dealing with cell growing game on nutrition depending on species, age, physiological status and purpose of the game.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry is a medico-biological discipline which studies the reactions and processes in the life cell. Students are introduced to chemical structure of the main components of the cell – proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleoproteins, vitamins, enzymes etc. The basic elements of the normal metabolism are studied in order to make students aware of the changes in pathology. Biochemistry provides a solid foundation for understanding of physiology, pathophysiology, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology and other medical subjects. Various aspects of functional biochemistry are also covered, which is a bridge to clinical disciplines. Students gain basic knowledge of the biochemical diagnosis of blood and urine and the principles of interpretation of the observed changes.
Lecturers:
Clinical Anatomy
Aim and objectives of the course:
The purpose of the course in clinical anatomy of domestic animals is to use the acquired knowledge of systematic and topographic anatomy to direct the students to the specific morphology peculiarities on the basis of which purposeful clinical thinking will be developed to successfully solve the problems of the clinical veterinary medicine. The spatial relationships of tissues and organs together with the possibility of using imaging techniques are of utmost importance, both for the identification of deviations from the norm and for the interpretation of the mechanism of their clinical manifestation. The course focuses on various problems and supports the successful acquisition of some of the thematic units in clinical disciplines and, to a lesser extent, the veterinary science.
Course content:
The lectures are aimed at directing the student towards easier understanding and learning of the subject matter and discussion on appropriate clinical cases. Practical exercises take place only when appropriate clinical cases occur and students have a good opportunity for active participation and clinical thinking when examining the material. At the time of the lectures, all the questions that are required and required for the oral exam are examined.
Lecturers:
Cynology
The aim of the program Cynology is to build students’ professional skills and to educate competent attitude towards the issue. To solve this question, the program is structured in accordance with the current state of knowledge in this area, with the latest requirements for a dog activity consistent with the properties of the hunting practice and in agreement with the current regulations and legislation.
Cynology is a science subjected to strict rules and laws accordingly, and uses appropriate terminology and methodological approaches.
The essence of cynology is to maintain and develop economically valuable qualities of different breeds. Therefore, the items concerning breeding and rearing have acquired different accents in the modern trend of science development, which is consistent in this program. The topics that analyze the cynology as a science, its relationship with other sciences, anatomy and physiology of the dog, genetic characteristics of species, reproductive characteristics, zoo-hygiene requirements, legislation concerning the terms and conditions for development of Cynologic activity in Europe and Bulgaria will be discussed in details . An important part of the course will be acquaintance of students to the organization and operation of the FCI (Federation Cynologique World), UCI (Union Cynologie International), BRFC (Bulgarian Republican Federation Cynology), Bulgarian Republican Kennel Union (BRKS) and dog’s breed clubs in the world and in our country. The focus will be on the rules of breeding purebred dogs, documentation, conducting of exhibitions, principles and rules of their organization and methods of training dogs. The course will place accent on the status of different functionaries in the cynology’s structure – members, board, management (president, secretary, handlers, etc.), judges and ways of acquiring judicial rights and judging committees. The issues of exterior features of the different breeds will be discussed as well as historical, anthropological, social and genetic preconditions for the occurrence of different breed groups.
Dogs of all breed groups will be studied in details, and topics will include the origin of each breed, the preconditions for its emergence and development, historical and practical characteristics which had led to consolidation in the dog’s unique and individual job performance, as a result of their use in hunting and professional practice. The students will be acquainted with the details of the methodology of training in different hunting breeds used for hunting feathered and furred game, work, underground hunting, consistent with the group membership and purpose of each breed of dog use in police and army as guides for blind people and the use of the species in medicine as a model for studying various diseases in humans -genetic, cardiovascular, psychological and others. An important part of the program are the working tests for the different breeds, concerning the hunting and service practice, which will discuss the issue of correlation between the exterior, the origin of the dog and the ability to perform work that is intended for the breed. We will examine subjects related to genetic diseases, it will be clarified how the inherited abnormality affects the working performance. Prepared in this way, the program will perform to the students the details of science KENNEL and educate professionals who are able to respond to the current needs and requirements of the hunting and cynology practice in line with fast-changing claims of modern society. The students that pass the course successfully will be qualified to breed, produce and use pure elite individuals from different breeds, which has its economic and business effect and allows them to work as executives and managers, but also as managers in the management of companies related to animal and dog business.
Lecturers:
Cytology, Histology and Embryology
Cytology, histology and embryology are fundamental biological disciplines united in a common curriculum. They familiarize the students with the normal cellular structure and ultrastructure of the organized living matter. It is done in the following order – cells, tissues, organs and organisms. The good knowledge of cytology and histology is the necessary basis for learning other fundamental morphological and functional disciplines such as anatomy, pathological morphology, physiology, biochemistry, embryology and the clinical disciplines. The aim of embryology is to give the future doctors a concise presentation of the gametogenesis, cell differentiation, morphogenesis, placenta, organogenesis with some congenital defects and in vitro manipulation during embryo development. The obtained experience is a basis for medical thinking, because the knowledge of norm morphological structure is a necessary fundament for comparison of any changes at the cellular, tissue, organ and organism level.
The lectures are carried out in two semesters and the main themes are illustrated with audiovisual presentations, aimed at clarifying the morphology of cells, tissues and animal organs. Tissue classification is considered with current knowledge of the main tissues, their types and forms, and the Latin terminology is conformed to morphological nomenclatures Nomina histologica (1994) and Nomina embryologica veterinaria (2006).
The practice is conducted chronologically with the lectures and the students are divided in groups. Every student works with individual histological slide using microscope under the methodological guidance of the tutor and indicts protocol of the laboratory exercise. The curriculum volume, sequence of the topics and teaching methods are consistent with the general rules of medical teaching in the universities. For learning the structure of cells, tissues and organs, histological slides are further presented by computer programs.
During the semesters periodical monitoring is done, by two colloquiums (cytology and common histology) and six tests about the microscopic morphology of the organs divided at organ systems, as well as one test of embryology. The complete results are gathered in personal testimonial for the student and it is present at the exam. Excellent students with a defined interest in the discipline are included in research projects. The student who has not passed the current inspections is regarded as failed in the semester’s curriculum. For the exam the additional practice is provided – access to histological slides and consultations with teacher for two days before each exam date. The general exam consists of two parts and includes a practical examination (recognition, differentiation and analysis of histological slides), as well as theoretical examination (determining the level of theoretical training and knowledge in cytology, common histology, microscopic organ morphology and embryology). Student do not pass the minimum set is not allowed to proceed to theoretical examination.
Lecturers:
Ecology and Care of Farm Animals
“Ecology and care of farm animals” – 60 hours of lectures and 45 hours of exercises. Deals with current problems of the ecology of livestock and its application Zoohigiena-discipline. Emphasis is on the intricacies of technology and hygiene requirements for production of organic production of livestock, reducing the energy intensity of production, introduction of new species for the manufacture of products of animal origin. Detailed analyzes abiotic and biotic environmental factors and possibilities for their optimization. Describe the consequences of the linearity of technology in farming and deal with new technologies for utilization of organic wastes are characterized in detail technology for biogas production.
Lecturers:
Ecology of Radioecology
The main objective of the course in Ecology of radioecology is to provide the necessary quality knowledge, especially those aspects of objects representing scientific interest or having the practical application and significance. The subject is divided into two unequal parts in scope. The first section provides basic knowledge of ecology. In the second section are consistently addressed the physical foundations of ionizing radiation sources of natural and artificial radioactivity, interaction of corpuscular or quantum radiation with matter, particularly with biological tissues. Tracks are characteristics in the transition of radionuclides in the food chain “environment – soil / water – plants – animals – nutrients from animal origin – man” and the impact on individuals.
Are considered the most dangerous sources of ionizing radiation, reserves for environmental protection, means and methods to reduce the level of individual human exposure, risk assessment, decontamination of food of animal origin and animal health of their expertise.
Ethology, Animal Protection and Animal Wellfare
Animal ethology as a scientific discipline is an integral part of the education of students in veterinary medicine. Animal ethology give general biological and specific knowledge of students about the rise, development and evolution of animal behaviour, as et its physiological manifestations, necessary of further education of veterinary medicine students in the clinical disciplines.
This purpose of the course of animal ethology at focusing the education of the students for motive and objective laws in behaviour reaction to animal world in nature, as well interaction of organisms in conditions to environment and their adaptation.
This approach of the course of animal ethology at focusing the education of the students on veterinary physiology et others discipline for preservation health and increase yield of farm animals.
The present curriculum is based on the following:
The material is free of unnecessary detail. The curriculum includes information on the most essential and important issues of the animal ethology and emphasis on the neuroendocrinological regulation mechanisms. The lectures and laboratory practice with the students are planed in a way to activate their direct participation in the education process.
Lecturers:
Feeding and Agronomy
Animal feeding is one of the most influencing factors on the main economic indicators, such as development, health, breeding animals, quantity and quality of the received products.
The course aims to introduce students of Veterinary Medicine of the main questions that allow proper feeding of animals using the latest standards and nutrition data of feeds and food.
The material is divided into three parts: The first part examines feedstuffs and their utilization from animals, energy and protein nutrient of feeds and methods for determining and shaping the norms for various functions and physiological conditions. The second describes the main feed and additives used in animal nutrition, feedstuffs that provide their specific influence on animal productivity and health. The third part covers the nutrition of individual animals species and categories and methods for balancing their rations, in order to obtain high quality and safety animal production by maintaining health and animal welfare.
The base of knowledge on the subject “Feeding and agronomy” will help students absorb the material embodied in the other disciplines. The received new up-to-date information will enable future professionals to balance rations according to a wide range of food factors and thus properly meet the needs of animals for energy, protein, carbohydrates, fats, macro nutrient – vitamin and trace elements and on this basis to maintain animals in good health and physiological status to high productivity and efficient use of feed. On the other hand the knowledge on the subject will enable future veterinarians to orientate quickly and correctly in specific situations on the farm or ranch and on this basis to give qualified advice on animal feed to produce high quality animal products.
Lecturers:
Immunology
30 hours of lectures, 15 hours of practical activities
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the modern concepts and advances in immunology and how immunology affects our knowledge on the mechanisms of disease processes. The article includes the latest issues related to immunity, structure and function of immune system, characteristics of immunocompetent cells and antigens, synthesis and structure of immunoglobulins, main issues of Immunogenetics, organ graft rejections, mechanisms of establishment and maintenance of immune tolerance, general principles of autoimmunity, hypersensitivity and etc. With this knowledge students will be better able to interpret the basic mechanisms of diseases.
Lecturers:
Juridical Veterinary Medicine
The discipline “Juridical Veterinary Medicine” studies the essence of the expertise, the types of expertise and the role of the juridical veterinary expert in the service of the judiciary and for the protection of animal rights and society.
The aim of the course and the material taught is to broaden the scope and interest of future veterinarians and to develop competencies in the field of the veterinary juridical expertise in animal breeding incidents, breeding and protection of the animals (including pet animals), protection of the health of humans from zoonoses and food poisoning, animal insurance, and veterinary juridical expertise in international and intra-Community trade in live animals, products of animal origin, veterinary medical preparations, food for animals.
This discipline supplements the medical and biological knowledge of future veterinary doctors with public and legal norms for practicing the profession.
Molecular Biology
15 hours of lectures
The aim of this course is to learn the students with the molecular – biological ways of occurrence of life, with the principles of interactions and regulation of the molecular mechanisms in cells and body as whole, with the opportunities of applying molecular – biological methods in practice.
The course program contains lectures that give general knowledge about the molecular biology and the stages in its development. Questions are discussed about the about the molecular basis of the physiological processes in cell on the level of cellular and intercellular signalization. Attention is drawn to the molecular – biological mechanisms of regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Object of study are cell-genetic theories of ontogenesis and metastasis, stem cells, transgenic animals, gene therapy and the methods of molecular biology.
Lecturers:
Morphological Practice
Aim and objectives of the course:
The aim of the morphological practice course – an anatomical part, is to support the intake of the huge amount of anatomy material and to practically create the necessary skills and abilities in the students for preparation of different structures. This discipline provides additional, indispensable practice for the identification of anatomical objects and surgical access to synovial formations, muscles, vessels, nerves, and cerebral structures. It focuses on the development of instrumental and tissue reflexes in students, not only during surgical interventions, but throughout the clinical veterinary practice.
Course content:
Students have a good opportunity to actively participate and rearrange important morphological structures, both independently and under the guidance of an assistant. In and out of school time, students are able to work independently on cadavers by exporting and importing them into the refrigeration chamber located in the dissection room. Practical issues and peculiarities of some species of animals that are less concerned or do not overlap at all during the course of anatomy, with a view to developing and expanding the directions in the veterinary practice, as well as increasing the horizons domestic and exotic animals served.
Pathology (Pathological Physiology)
45 hours of lectures, 60 hours of practical activities
Pathophysiology is a study which purpose is to study the vital activity of the patient’s body. That discipline studies the most general regularities of emergence and development of the deviations of the normal functions of the organs and systems during the whole illness. That can be reached only by revealing of the causation and dependencies among the damages on the processes and functions, which together form a very qualities state of the organism, marked as diseases. By studying the general mechanisms of diseases and pathological problems, the pathophysiology provides the basis of clinical training. By this way that discipline proved at the students skills like medical logics, functional thinking and abilities for rationalization of the facts and phenomenon in the patient’s body. These features define a key position in the system of the medical education.
The course of pathophysiology contains three sections: General nosology, typical pathological processes and pathophysiology of the organs and systems.
Lecturers:
Public Veterinary Medicine and Legislation
The discipline “Public Veterinary Medicine and Legislation” aims at shaping the professional appearance of the future veterinarian and assisting in the successful start of his / her professional career as an employee in public veterinary structures, animal health manager in livestock farms and veterinary public health expert.
The subject of training in the discipline is veterinary medical norms for the implementation of veterinary medicine by the national normative base, in their direct connection and interdependence with the norms and rules of OIE and EU and other international organizations.
The curriculum is adapted to acquire basic knowledge on the nature, functions and organization of veterinary medicine in the context of public health protection. The students acquire knowledge of the most important institutions and mechanisms of management in the veterinary medicine sector (public and private sphere), the functioning of the administrative apparatus, the basic principles of organization in the activity of the national veterinary administration, including the general principles and the theory and practice of management, planning, forecasting and modeling, marketing, advertising, information technology, and so on.
The subject matter is refracted through the prism of the current veterinary medicine in the country and the state of agriculture and animal husbandry; the economic viability and effectiveness of veterinary medicine, the multi-level links between the veterinary sector and other professional, civil, governmental and non-governmental structures at regional, national, European and global level, etc.
Quality and Safety of Animal Forages and Feeds
Information about nutrient composition of forages and additives used in the feeding of various types and categories of animals is constantly changing
The analytical techniques is improved, bring new analytical methods, enabling accurate analysis and international exchange of forages and additives information and their quality and safety.
The course objective is to describe the main practical activities related to research and qualification of feed and foods with a view to correct and healthу animal nutrition and qualitative animal products. It is the primary prevention of animals against diseases. There are concidered the problems arising from the need to produce high qualitative and harmless forages, which ensured good health, higher animals productivity and reproduction.
The course is integrated with other areas, such as: environment, impact on the composition and quality of production, nutrition and health status of animals. At the same time covers complex and specific activity of theoretical and practical issues of providing highly qualification of future veterinarians who will work within the system of production and control of forages, foods and additives.
Lecturers:
Topographic Anatomy
The course in topographic anatomy of domestic animals is using acquired knowledge of systematic anatomy to acquaint student with that of all the component parts – tissues and organs in the body and its separate regions and the spatial relationships between anatomical structures. This is necessary for successful implementation of clinical disciplines and the veterinary medicine.
The lectures are essential to guide student easier to understand and mastering the material, both practical exercise and in self. Accordingly, the workload, as indicated in the program, one part of the material is not considered on the lectures, but on the practical classes only.
On practical exercises students have a good opportunity for active participation in the study of topographical regions. At the designated time for exercise is considered practical problems and are related accesses to important organs and structures.
Lecturers:
Veterinary Animal Physiology
Veterinary physiology as a scientific discipline is an integral part of the education of students in veterinary medicine. This applied biological science provides general and specific knowledge about the normal functions of the organism, which is necessary for the preventive, clinical and therapeutic education of veterinary medicine students in the clinical disciplines. The purpose of the course in veterinary physiology is to teach students about the essence of the physiological processes in the healthy organism, the functional interrelationships between its organs and systems, the regulatory mechanisms of the physiological processes and the organism/environment relationship and adaptation.
This approach of the course of veterinary medicine aims at focusing the education of the students on farm animals’ health maintenance and increase of performance.
The present curriculum is based on the following:
- The material is free of unnecessary detail. The curriculum includes information on the most essential and important issues of the physiology of farm animals and pets with an emphasis on the neuroendocrinological regulation mechanisms of the physiological processes in the organism.
- Given the duties of the veterinarian, related to diagnostics and prevention activities aiming at animal husbandry development, the lectures and laboratory practice in veterinary physiology include the physiological peculiarities of ruminants, swine, poultry, horse, dog and feline.
- The lectures and laboratory practice with the students are planned in a way to activate their direct participation in the education process.
During the laboratory practice, the students perform a number of experiments in the field of physiology, focused primarily on practical issues.
This is an opportunity for the students to expand their knowledge in biology and the physiological processes as well as the normal functions of the organism, which is a prerequisite for their education in prevention and clinical activities.
Lecturers:
Veterinary Genetics and Selection of Animals
The purpose of the course syllabus “Veterinary Genetics and Selection of Animals” is to meet students with the current information and basis of the Classical and Cytological Genetics, as well as last achivements of the Molecular Genetics.
The main themes pointed out the possibilities discovered by the modern genetic methods for diagnostic and prevention of Animal Genetc Diseases, inherited and inherited predispositions of animal diseases.
In order to achive the abovementioned puroses the syllabus included themes wich develop in detailed way Mendelian Inheritance, Structure and Function of DNA and Structure and Behavior of Genes and Chromosomes. The students have the possibility to face and use easily the specific Genetics terminology. Moreover, in this case they are well prepared to learn the classification of inherited diseases, the process of inheritance, spread in the population and methods for their elimination.
In the section titled Selection of Animals are included themes, wich allow learning in details about methods of selection and possibilities for their practical implementation.
Work with Laboratory Animals, Organization of the Experiment and Welfare
15 hours of lectures
The purpose of the course is to acquaint the students with the methods of the experimental practice and internationally approved principles of welfare.
The provided knowledge for assimilation at the course is presented as lectures. The discipline gives the answer of the question: Why people need biomedical researches? Simultaneously we focus on worldwide established rules of work with laboratory animals. Various problems of bioethics are being discussed. Connection is made between the discipline and the nowadays ecological problems. Main knowledge about the organization of the experiment and interpretation of the results are given. Particular attention is made to the discomfort and pain that the experimental animals feel. Questions about the way of recognizing the pain relief and treatment and the problem of euthanasia are disused.
