books for veterinarians
Veterinary Vaccines: Current Innovations and Future Trends
Laurel J. Gershwin, DVM, PhD, DACVM, & Amelia R. Woolums, DVM, PhD
237 pages. 2020. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-913652-59-3. Price $250.00.
Veterinary Vaccines: Current Innovations and Future Trends is a concise book that delineates recent scientific innovations with substantial impacts on the development of vaccines for food animals and pets. It describes new technical approaches, such as next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, protein modeling, and mRNA vaccines, and reviews recent developments in cancer vaccines, bovine mucosal vaccines, and animal vaccine adjuvants. This book also reviews some of the current strategies to enhance vaccine efficacy in neonatal animals and various challenges associated with having vaccines available to control transboundary diseases of livestock.
Although this book is intended for people who are interested in vaccine development in academia, the animal biopharmaceutical industry, and clinical settings, it is also timely reading for anyone who is interested in today's hot topics in biomedical science and animal health. This book provides detailed discussions on the hurdles and progress of the African swine fever (ASF) vaccine, how mRNA vaccines work, and why mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases of animals should be seriously considered. In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks of ASF in Asia and Europe, it is anticipated that this book will become popular among scientists who are working on veterinary vaccines as well as people who are interested in emerging infectious diseases around the world.
Reviewed by Jishu Shi, DVM, PhD
Kansas State University Manhattan, Kan
Veterinary Ethics in Practice
James Yeates, PhD, DECAW
139 pages. 2021. CABI. ISBN 978-1-78924-720-6. Price $40.00.
As a practicing veterinarian and educator on topics in law and ethics, I see the physical and emotional harm veterinarians experience when they lack a solid foundation and clear roadmap for ethical decision-making in clinical settings. Based on the title, I read this book and designed my review with the clinical veterinarian in mind. The title Veterinary Ethics in Practice may be a little misleading because the book provides a broader overview of ethical issues that arise in clinical practice as well as in veterinary research and advocacy.
The author acknowledges that veterinary work is often about making the best out of a bad situation. The process of developing considerations in advance of the concerns being presented and identifying views that could be useful in making decisions is discussed. The book explains how veterinarians can improve their confidence in dealing with ethical conflicts, avoid later remorse and anxiety, and reduce stress levels. For example, a table that lists owners' potential moral concerns over euthanasia is provided and includes concerns, examples, and tailored ethical communications that will aid veterinarians in communicating with owners. These ideas are very well articulated and can help veterinarians assess patient options with the animal's owner, especially for patients that require incremental care.
Legally, animals are the property of the owner (client). A veterinarian has a duty to both the animal patient and client. This legal conundrum can result in ethical dilemmas for clinical veterinarians. Although it is hoped that the law will support ethical decision-making, it can feel at times that these rules and guidelines are in conflict. The author addresses this conflict by recommending that readers consider animal patients more objectively, conceptually, and open-mindedly by imagining that they are new patients owned by new clients in another country where they are unfamiliar with the culture and law. The author writes, “property is a legal concept, but we might think it represents a legitimate ethical basis for owners having some control over what happens to their animals (and perhaps, by extension, human children or slaves).” Despite the author posing the question of whether an owner's control over an animal is ethical, legally the owner does have control and it is a moot point for practical purposes.
Additionally, veterinarians are bound by the law and have to work within the confines of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship and scope of their license. Readers would benefit from an acknowledgement of the ethical toll that the implications of the legal status of animals as property can have on veterinarians in various settings. Proposing some ways to better address this dilemma versus recommending veterinarians try to imagine that it does not exist would provide greater guidance for readers.
Overall, this book is a quick and enjoyable read, offers insight on topics that are increasing contributors to ethical dilemmas, and provides readers with an opportunity to enhance their ethical literacy.
Reviewed by Sarah L. Babcock, DVM, JD
Animal & Veterinary Legal Services PLLC Grosse Pointe Shore, Mich
Equine Endocrinology
François-René Bertin, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, & Natalie S. Fraser, DVM, MS, DACT
137 pages. 2020. CABI. ISBN 978-1-789241099. Price $60.00.
Equine Endocrinology is a textbook on the clinical recognition, diagnosis, and management of common endocrine disorders of equids written by 2 recognized and active authorities in the field. The authors have achieved their aim of creating a comprehensive resource for veterinary students, individuals in advanced veterinary training programs, and veterinarians in equine practice that is useful and user-friendly. This book will appeal to members of a very broad audience. It relays relevant information in a clear, succinct, and appropriately detailed manner. The text is readable and written at a level that is readily assessable for both novice and experienced practitioners.
The structure and organization of the book are logical and clear, beginning with an overview of the clinical approach to equids with endocrine disorders and progressing to discuss details of individual endocrine organs and axes in the 8 subsequent chapters. The length of the book is appropriate. Each topic is thoroughly presented and includes practical and clinically relevant details regarding diagnosis and treatment. The text is complemented by extensive images that depict the body condition scoring system commonly used for horses, photographs of horses with specific endocrine disorders, tables of reference ranges, and diagrams that allow for quick assessment of a topic. Each chapter is extensively and accurately referenced, reflecting both current research and important foundational information. That is a unique and valuable aspect of this book, which will be particularly useful for experienced practitioners. Overall, this book contains information regarding current best practice methods for diagnosing, treating, and managing equids with endocrine disorders. It will be a valuable resource for anyone who manages such patients.
Reviewed by Teresa A. Burns, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio
Adams & Stashak's Lameness in Horses (7th edition)
Gary M. Baxter, VMD, MS, DACVS
1,204 pages. 2020. Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-119-27668-5. Price $199.99.
Some version of Adams & Stashak's Lameness in Horses has been around since the debut of the first edition in 1962, and there is a reason for that. The first edition by O. R. Adams represented a compilation of wisdom and knowledge in a single volume that provided veterinary students and equine practitioners insight into the complexities of equine lameness. The text has grown over the years from the original 311 pages to the current 1,204 pages in the seventh edition.
The current seventh edition provides comprehensive information about lameness in horses. The book is divided into 12 sections and begins with a review of the functional locomotor anatomy of equids, thereby providing readers with a solid foundation for subsequent discussions. Manual and visual assessment of the locomotion of horses as well as diagnostic techniques and specific stress testing techniques for lame horses are described.
This book contains a thorough overview of lameness in horses. The text addresses concerns regarding specific anatomic structures, breeds, and disciplines (eg, dressage vs racing), which makes this book a valuable reference for both veterinary students and equine practitioners. Over the years, sequential editions of this book have included thoughtful additions to stay abreast of innovations in diagnostic testing and imaging technology. The current edition covers concepts and uses of contemporary imaging modalities and provides guidelines for when to seek specialty imaging. From initial evaluation to passive and dynamic assessment of lameness to diagnostic imaging to treatment, this book will be a useful resource for anyone interested in equine locomotion and performance.
The complexity of the text varies, with some sections drawing readers in as they gain a deeper understanding of how issues can occur and how to comprehensively address them. Other sections require more intense focus because the subject matter is, of necessity, complex and abstruse. Readers who take the time to understand each section will be rewarded with a thorough understanding of the topic being discussed. The illustrations and graphics are exceptional, and the photographs are well and appropriately labeled for the subject at hand. In my opinion, this book will be a valuable addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the function and care of horses.
Reviewed by Mark Silverman, DVM, MS
Sporthorse Veterinary Services and the Southern California Equine Podiatry Center Rancho Santa Fe, Calif
Sheep, Goat, and Cervid Medicine (3rd edition)
David G. Pugh, BSA, DVM, MS, DACT, DACVN, DACVM; A. Nickie Baird, DVM, MS, DACVS; Misty A. Edmondson, DVM, MS, DACT; & Thomas Passler, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
561 pages. 2020. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-323-62463-3. Price $135.15.
Having made extensive use of the first edition of Sheep, Goat, and Cervid Medicine in clinical practice, I was eager to review the third and latest edition. I was not disappointed. The numerous tables and charts in this book make it an invaluable resource for any practitioner who needs help developing a list of differential diagnoses from history and physical examination findings, interpreting laboratory test results, understanding and evaluating nutritional needs, and formulating rations.
Basic information and medical and surgical management of common diseases of sheep, goats, and cervids are presented in chapters that are organized by body systems. This facilitates the logical process required to make a definitive diagnosis and evaluate treatment options. The appendices provide quick access to useful information about drugs, drug dosages, fluid therapy, reference ranges for physical examination variables and laboratory test results, and conversions for various units of measure. Unfortunately, the font size used for the book's excellent index is smaller than that used for the general text, which makes the index somewhat difficult to read.
The changes that were made from the first to second editions (ie, additional chapters on parenteral nutrition, intestinal parasitism, and necropsy and full-color rather than black-and-white illustrations) have been maintained in the third edition. New to the third edition are an increased emphasis on pain management in the chapter on anesthesia and discussion on the proper use of veterinary feed directive drugs to medicate groups of animals.
The 3 largest improvements to the third edition are the inclusion of information on cervids, the involvement of additional expert contributors and editors, and the enhanced digital version. The latter is extremely beneficial for practitioners who want to keep up-to-date diagnostic and treatment information readily available in their practice vehicles without having to lug around a heavy textbook. However, the use of a more capable platform (eg, Vital Source) that provides access to the book's index and a search function would be preferable to the publisher's Expert Consult platform.
I highly recommend this book for any practitioner who provides veterinary services for small ruminants, especially when those species are not the practitioner's primary practice focus. It is a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference.
Reviewed by Christine Camann, DVM
Ruminant Health Services Unadilla, NY
Paratuberculosis: Organism, Disease, Control (2nd edition)
Marcel A. Behr, MD, MSc; Karen Stevenson, BSc, PhD; & Vivek Kapur, BVSc, PhD
426 pages. 2020. CABI. ISBN 978-1-78924-341-3. Price $155.00.
The second edition of Paratuberculosis: Organism, Disease, Control is a book dedicated to describing the past and present understanding of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis and the disease caused by the organism. This edition begins with a preface that contains a detailed explanation of the improvements it contains relative to the first edition, which is very helpful for understanding the logic behind the abbreviations and organization of the chapters. The intended audience for this book includes livestock veterinarians and biomedical researchers with an interest in paratuberculosis or Johne's disease.
The first chapter delineates the history of the disease as well as the current prevalence, known routes of transmission, potential carriers of the bacteria, and risk factors that make livestock susceptible to disease. Other chapters provide different aspects of paratuberculosis, such as comparisons with human disease, genetic markers and susceptibility of animals to disease, comparison with diseases caused by other Mycobacterium avium subsp, comparison with different bacterial strains, description of molecular mechanisms used by the bacterium, drug susceptibility, and vaccine development. Each chapter of the book was written by different authors, but the editors ensured that the writing style was consistent with labeled sections for effortless reading. All tables and graphs are uncomplicated, and images have very good resolution. By recruiting diverse perspectives on the subject, the editors created a well-rounded and interesting book. This edition will be a valuable resource for veterinarians and veterinary pathologists who work with livestock and desire a better understanding of this complicated and devastating disease.
Reviewed by Heidi Ward, DVM, PhD
University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark
The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare: Theory, Evidence and Policy
Bouda Vosough Ahmadi, MSc, PhD; Dominic Moran, MA, PhD; & Rick D'Eath, BA, DPhil
194 pages. 2020. CABI. ISBN 978-1-78639-231-2. Price $65.00.
Animal welfare is of central concern to veterinarians but is also necessarily interdisciplinary in nature. Input from other fields, including economics, is needed to understand and improve animal welfare. The Economics of Farm Animal Welfare: Theory, Evidence and Policy considers important questions at the intersection of economics and welfare, from a European and a farm animal perspective.
The 9 chapters of this book provide a thorough overview of the history and current state of economics, welfare science, and European welfare policy. For veterinarians with little training in economics, multiple chapters cover basic economics in a succinct and lucid way. Case studies, such as the economics of switching from sow-farrowing crates to crate-free systems (chapter 5), will be informative for both veterinarians and producers.
At the heart of efforts to improve farm animal welfare is the economic question of who will pay for better animal welfare? From the farmer's point of view, many improvements in animal welfare also improve the economics of animal production. Other husbandry changes, particularly those that allow for more natural behaviors and better affective states of farm animals, require substantial investment and will not always pencil out. Thus, it's essential that farmers “gain additional revenue from the market.”
Unfortunately, although the willingness of consumers to pay for improved animal welfare is well documented, it has failed to bring about important changes. Therefore, the authors postulate that the free market has “apparently” failed to bring about improved animal welfare (chapter 4). In economic terms, that apparent failure is due to “consumption externality—other people's consumption decision affect my/your assessment of our own welfare.”
Still, the future holds promise for improving farm animal welfare through economics and policy owing to the rising interest in ethical consumerism and the positive “public profile that animal welfare enjoys.” A similar volume that focuses on American agriculture and welfare policy would be most welcome.
Reviewed by Shaw Perrin,
The Ohio State University Large Animal Services Marysville, Ohio
Diagnostic Radiology in Small Animal Practice (2nd edition)
Silke Hecht, Dr med vet, DACVR, DECVDI
426 pages. 2020. 5M Books. ISBN 978-1-789-18093-0. Price $171.00.
The second edition of Diagnostic Radiology in Small Animal Practice is a beautifully cohesive textbook designed “to provide veterinary students, practitioners and specialists with a comprehensive overview of radiographic findings in diseases of small animal and exotic patients” by thorough and concise descriptions of radiographic findings for common and uncommon (but radiographically important) diseases.
The book begins with a discussion on the basics of radiology and a brief review of the basic principles of advanced diagnostic imaging such as ultrasonography, nuclear medicine, CT, and MRI. The textbook is then organized into relevant chapters on the anatomy of dogs and cats, with the final chapters covering the anatomy of birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Each chapter has a consistent and practical layout that includes key anatomic features, standard radiographic techniques, and a well-organized summary of disorders. Special positional views and contrast studies are described when indicated. The images, illustrations, and tables complement the text. The index is extensive.
Although the book has been translated from German into English, American readers will notice a few spelling variations and many foreign references in each chapter. These additional sources appear to have only enhanced the informative content of each chapter.
Overall, this is an excellent textbook. The information is very well presented, direct (not verbose), and packed with key diagnostic tips, facts, and pitfalls. I highly recommend this book for those interested in learning and expanding their knowledge and as a practical reference in small animal radiology.
Reviewed by Karen L. Morrow, DVM, MS, DACVR
Winter Garden, Fla
Raptor Medicine, Surgery, and Rehabilitation (3rd edition)
David E. Scott, DVM
340 pages. 2021. CABI. ISBN 978-1-78924-610-0. Price $135.00.
The third edition of Raptor Medicine, Surgery, and Rehabilitation is a good resource on clinical management of raptors in a veterinary or rehabilitation setting. The author leverages years of clinical raptor knowledge and experience to produce this easy-to-read textbook that serves as a great reference. The book consists of 17 sections, with topics ranging from initial patient handling and physical examination to patient release back into the wild and all of the medical conditions, management, and rehabilitation topics in between.
Compared with the second edition, this edition contains minimal updates. A few references were added, as were descriptions on electrocution and quality-of-life management in raptors. Additionally, 2 new appendices on building nests and feeding puppets complete the updates to this edition.
The clear images, tables, and graphics make this book a good cage-side reference for veterinary professionals and rehabilitators who need to quickly look up specific procedures or topics. Concise descriptions with strong accompanying photographs and graphics allow readers to easily navigate the text by topic. This book is not intended to provide in-depth information on each topic and may need to be augmented by other raptor resources.
Overall, this book focuses on clinical applications and represents an easy-to-use resource for those in the field of raptor rehabilitation.
Reviewed by Victoria Hall, DVM, MS, DACVPM
The Raptor Center University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Saint Paul, Minn
