Review by Kathy Lyon (Click on stars for an explanation) |
You may purchase this book on Amazon.com. |
As with previous editions this book is very well organized. Diseases and non-disease topics are cross-referenced and indexed so that information is easily located. The chapters begin with presentation and walk the reader through diagnoses, lab tests and expected results, treatment and prognosis. Vaccines are listed where applicable. Included also is the ramifications of drugs on meat and milk production. At the end of each section is a list of additional recommended reading, including other texts and journal papers.
Topics include: Female Infertility, Abortion, Male Infertility, Periparturient Problems, Weak Kids, Inadequate Growth rate, Lameness in Adult Goats, Lameness in Kids, Chronic Weight Loss, External Swellings, Skin Disease, Nervous Disease, Diseases of the Mammary Gland, Diarrhoea, Colic, Abdominal Distension, Respiratory Disease, Anaemia, Sudden Death, Eye Disease, Plant Poisoning, The Geriatric goat, Herd Health and Biosecurity, Anaesthesia, Disbudding and Dehorning, Surgical Techniques, The Normal Goat (Appendix) Drug Dosages (Appendix) and Diagnostic Reference Chart (Appendix).
British terminology and British drugs need some extrapolation for US reading, but that is not a problem. Biosecurity and disease management are the main revisions in this edition.
Normal breeding cycles are discussed, including some of the issues associated with a breeding individual or herd. The section on kids, normal and abnormal, disease and development, is thorough and informative. Also, and very important, tables of normal values are prominent and easy to read, allowing accurate comparisons with lab results.
Management information is included as it relates to the diseases and treatments. The book is a pleasure to read and use, as the organization is excellent. There is a section of good quality color plates in the center of the book (commonly done to save printing costs) and they add a great deal to this edition. There are numerous tables, and salient points are boxed for emphasis. (There are even printed settings for milking machines). I really like this book and the style of writing.
As mentioned with the review of the Second Edition, it is evident that the author has had extensive experience with goats. If you have any chance of seeing goats, I suggest that you have this book on hand. Affordably priced, this book should be on every veterinarian's shelf.
Revised in 2009 from the 1999 edition, which was revised from its 1991, version this book is published by Wiley-Blackwell Science, and distributed in the US by
Blackwell Publishing, Ames, IA (2009)
ISBN: 9781405161367