This text is in its fourth edition. The editor’s goal with this book is to increase the understanding of reproduction and reproductive disease in veterinary medicine with the hopes of becoming the ‘go to’ reference when veterinary healthcare teams are faced with abortion and neonatal loss in animals. This book is aimed globally at veterinary diagnosticians, pathologists, practitioners, technicians, educators, and students. The contributors all have attained advanced degrees in addition to their veterinary degree. The eight contributors who are pathologists are also Diplomats of the American College of Veterinary Pathology.
There are a number of changes to this edition beginning with fewer chapters (seven) in the 4th edition vs. the third edition (forty three). Although the chapters are fewer in number, the chapter layout is concise and now covers one or two species. Conditions affecting cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses are covered along with new chapters looking at the general approach to fetal and neonatal loss, abortion diagnostics, and conditions seen in cats and dogs. Another new addition is a chapter on the topic of abortion and neonatal loss in nondomestic mammalian species.
Each chapter is arranged with an introduction outlining the pathogenesis of abortion and neonatal loss. This is followed by sections outlining: the pathogenesis of abortion and neonatal loss; diagnostic techniques; anatomy and physiology of the fetus and placenta; causes of abortion and neonatal loss. A closer look at the disease section looks at viruses (bacterial and fungal), nutritional etiologies, toxic etiologies, and potential miscellaneous causes. Each chapter also takes a look at disease diagnosis and testing to confirm the diagnosis.
The photos/ figures in each chapter are of vivid brilliance in their display. The captions give a concise description of the photo and enable the contributors to emphasize and relate to the material being discussed in the text. This book also has a companion website which allows for power points of all figures to be downloaded.
Appendix A reviews the gestational age estimation based on fetal measures and phenotypic characteristics with specific informational tables on the species listed above. Appendix B offers summary tables of diagnostic tests for infectious causes of abortion and neonatal loss. Again informational tables for each species covered in this text are professionally arranged with information from the preferred fetal tissues to test and the preferred diagnostic test per agent to suggestions for additional diagnostics. The appendices are arranged in a manner that the target audience can readily follow and understand without the need for an advanced degree in pathology.
Kirkbride’s Diagnosis of Abortion and Neonatal Loss in Animals 4th Ed. appears to this reviewer to have hit the goal of becoming the ‘go to’ reference for veterinary healthcare teams faced with abortion and neonatal loss in animals. While my expertise is not pathology, this text was arranged and written in a concise and easy to follow format with tables and illustrations readily reinforcing and enhancing the point of the contributor.
Publisher: Wiley and Sons (2012)
256 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-470-95852-0