This textbook, designed for use in a veterinary assistant and/or veterinary technician program, is written and reviewed almost entirely by credentialed veterinary technicians. At a time when the veterinary technology profession is fraught with confusion between what veterinary assistants and veterinary technicians can and should be allowed to do, this book helps make those lines a little clearer.
This text is voluminous, but basic in its information. With over fifty chapters, the amount of information could seem daunting and overwhelming, but the chapters are fairly short and the topics succinct. The information covered in this text runs the gamut from practice management, record keeping, and veterinary law to breed identification, basic small mammal, large animal and exotics information, and surgical and lab procedures.
However, a few mistakes were noted that could cause some confusion to new students. In a chapter about parasitology and microbiology, cancer is discussed, which may have been better served in its own chapter. Many photos and pictures are reused from one chapter to the next, and one picture labeled as “starting an IV to treat dehydration” is actually a picture of an assistant giving subcutaneous fluids. There were also some drawings that would have made more sense had they been photographs instead.
In general, I think veterinary assistant or high school animal care programs would garner the most use out of this book as the topics and information presented are a little too basic for a veterinary technology program to use, unless it was to be used in an introductory class. I also don’t see much use for this textbook as a reference in a clinical setting. More detailed information could be found in any number of other texts. While there is a lot to get out of this text, there is so much more that could be included, such as vaccine regimens and broader discussions on diseases. It is not an advanced volume for specific disease information, nor a resource for skills and procedures, but as a basic text on beginning veterinary medicine it is great.
Publisher: Delmar, Cengage Learning, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4354-5387-6
VIN Store: Currently Unavailable