Review by Kathy Lyon (Click on stars for an explanation)

This book is Out of Print.

This appears to be an excellent reference for technicians and veterinarians new to exotics. There is a lot of information provided about the individual species. The authors assume that the technician has already studied the basics of anatomy, terminology, physiology, and pathology.

The topic headings are: The Avian Patient; The Lizard; The Snake; The Chelonians; The Amphibians; The Ferret; The Rabbit; The Mouse, Rat, Gerbil, And Hamster; The Chinchilla; The Guinea Pig; and The Hedgehog. There is also a chapter on other species such as skunks, prairie dogs, and sugar gliders.

The reader is guided through the collection of a complete history, and restraint techniques. Within each chapter, the technician is instructed on blood collection, sex determination, the basic exam, common diseases or conditions, anesthesia, and euthanasia. In addition, such topics as reproduction, emergency care, radiology, nutrition, behavior, and husbandry are discussed, to provide the technician with the basics for each species. All in all, the book is pretty thorough and appears to contain good information. There are some charts and graphs that will be useful.

The only criticism I have of the photo section is the photos of avian feces all contain some sort of contamination (seeds, old food, newsprint, etc.) that detracts from what the authors are trying to illustrate. Also, many of the photos were used twice.

Blackwell Science, distributed by Blackwell Publishing (2003).

Soft cover, 320 pages, 8.5 x 11 format.

ISBN: 9780813819280.