Functions of the registered animal health assistant

(1) A registered animal health assistant may perform any or all of the following functions, (a) the preparation and sterilization of equipment; 29 (b) the preparation of simple solutions; (c) the collection of blood samples, milk samples, fecal samples, and parasitic specimens; (d) the collection of postmortem samples and the preparation thereof for examination in a laboratory; (e) the handling of vaccines and the maintenance of biological products; (f) the vaccination of animals; (g) the restraint of all types of animals; (h) the giving of assistance to and the marking and identification of animals; (i) the preparation of records; (j) the performance of minor surgical procedures as, for example, the treatment of wounds, the lancing of abscesses, and castrations on the following animals, (i) cattle up to eight months of age; (ii) swine up to five months of age; (iii) goats; and (iv) sheep; (k) the performance of laboratory techniques such as the marking and examination of blood and fecal smears; 30 (l) the giving of advice to farmers and the explanation of programmes and methods of control; (m) the performance of any veterinary duty, other than diagnosis, prescription or surgery, which may be requested by the registered veterinary surgeon under whose supervision he works; and (n) any other functions which an animal health assistant may reasonably be expected to perform for the better administration of this Act. (2) An animal health assistant shall at all times perform his functions under the supervision of a registered veterinary (3) Any animal health assistant who contravenes subsection (2) of this section is deemed to be guilty of misconduct in a