“Pediatric dogs and cats are not small adults but rather have distinct anatomic and physiologic properties that must be taken into consideration.” With this statement, the authors’ take the reader on a trip through a hard cover book encompassing 526 pages organized very efficiently into four sections with forty-six chapters including: General Considerations, Common Infectious Diseases in Puppies and Kittens, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to the Pediatric Patient, and Systemic Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Conditions.
Section 1: General Considerations cover common questions asked every day by owners. This section includes prenatal care, birth and the first twenty four hours, growth, husbandry, nutritional considerations, behavioral development, and immunologic development and immunization. Standards of care in pediatrics and emergency and critical care issues are also discussed.
Section 2: Common Infectious Diseases in Puppies and Kittens covers the bacterial, viral, fungal, tick borne, parasitic and protozoan diseases presented in an easy to understand format addressing prevention, diagnosis, treatment and zoonotic potential.
Section 3: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to the Pediatric Patient encompasses anesthetic and surgical considerations in young patients with clinical chemistries in puppy and kittens being discussed. The tables are easy to understand and serve as a quick reference for any one working with neonates and pediatric patients. Radiographs and ultrasound images of normal neonate and pediatric patients can be difficult to read and the images are included which serve as an asset to those who do not normally see animals of this age. Pain assessment and pharmacologic considerations when dealing with animals of this age are critical for proper case management and are thusly addressed.
Section 4: Systemic Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Conditions is organized by organ system. It includes detailed chapters on the clinical approach to pediatric nutritional considerations and selected zoonotic diseases.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who treats neonates and pediatric patients. This is a great reference for all veterinary practice libraries and is sure to be utilized by everyone from the veterinarian on to his staff members.
Publisher: Elsevier Saunders (2011)
ISBN: 9781416048893