This is the third edition of a book that was first published in 2003—a rapid rate of revision for a rapidly growing field—each new edition is larger and more detailed than the last. As the authors state in the preface, “its purpose is not to present ideas for the first time but rather to refresh or expand the veterinary technician’s current knowledge.” I would describe this book as a distillation and compilation of the most important information from the dozen or so clinical textbooks used by veterinary technician students while in school.
There are 16 chapters which include: Anatomy, Preventative Health Care and Vaccinations, Nutrition, Laboratory, Imaging, General Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Patient Care Skills, Pain Management, Wound Care and Bandaging, Medical Procedures, Dentistry, Anesthesia and Anesthetic Procedures, Surgery, Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine, and Pharmacology. The majority of the text is in tables and skill boxes (to describe procedures), with occasional short paragraphs and drawings or black and white photos and figures. There is an extensive color plate section with 32 pages of, primarily, photomicrographs from the laboratory chapter. All of the figures are also available at the companion website for this book.
I found the structure and layout of the book to be slightly awkward at first. It is printed with a long side bind, but with landscape orientation. A few of the reprinted charts, such as the CPR algorithm and CSU pain scale, don’t lend themselves to this format and you’ll have to turn the book to read them. Overall, though, the book is relatively easy to flip through and it lies flat when open, so you won’t lose your place. This is not a pocket reference by any stretch of the imagination—it has over 900 pages and weighs five pounds. To use it, you’ll want to set it down on a desk or give it plenty of room on a counter-top.
And this is how I imagine it being used to its best advantage: sitting out, open, in the technician office area or library in a veterinary hospital, some pages a bit dog-eared, items highlighted, notes in the margins, supplementary materials tucked in here and there, always available to provide quick help and guidance—a working veterinary technician’s friend and ally.
Publisher: Wiley Blackwell, 2014
ISBN: 9781118363508