Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction, by Munroe and Weese, is an excellent reference book that contains a huge amount of information complemented by 1361 excellent color photographs. The information in the text is presented in a clear and well-organized fashion. The book is divided into 15 sections including: the musculoskeletal system, the reproductive system, the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal system, the liver, endocrine system, urinary system, cardiovascular system, hemolymphatic system, nervous system, eyes, skin, wound management and infections of synovial structures, the foal and finally rounded out by a final section dedicated to behavioral problems. Each section is written by an expert in that particular field thus there are a large number of contributors to this excellent text.
According to the preface, this book was written to address the needs of veterinarians who are not equine specialists as well as undergraduates and post-graduates veterinary students who have a special interest in equine medicine. As such, although there is a significant amount of information in the book, the authors point out that “complicated or advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques are mentioned but not covered in detail.” They go on to say that there is a comprehensive reading list provided for those who are interested in further information. According to the authors, the focus of this book is to provide “clinically relevant information that is required for good case management, but with enough concise information about etiology and pathophysiology to enable readers to understand the conditions and the rationale for diagnostic and treatment options.”
The chapters are each laid out with a brief introduction to anatomy and physiology of the particular system, examination techniques and diagnostic aids followed by pathologies of the system, each one defined, followed by a brief discussion of etiology/pathophysiology and then a description of the clinical presentation and a discussion of differential diagnoses. Diagnosis, management and prognosis are all discussed and each section is well illustrated by excellent photographs and line drawings.
This is a very valuable book that any clinician practicing equine medicine would be delighted to own. In addition to being highly useful to a veterinary practice, horse owners, caretakers and students of equine studies would also benefit from the information presented in this text. This is also a highly useful book for all students of veterinary medicine including veterinary students and veterinary technician students who have an interest in equine studies. The book is up to date, relevant, comprehensive and comprehensible.
Publisher: CRC Press/Taylor Francis, 2011
Hard cover, 1055 pages
ISBN: 978-1-84076-119-1