This introductory handbook was authored by veterinarians who are specialized in avian and exotic animal medicine, and it is intended to be a concise, easy to use resource and not a comprehensive textbook. The intended audiences are veterinary technicians and assistants; however, clinical veterinary practitioners also may find the husbandry discussions of less commonly encountered species interesting and practical.
The book is organized into 8 chapters covering a wide range of species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, ferrets, rabbits, rodents, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and fish. An excellent resource lists follows each chapter, should the reader wish to seek more information, and an extensive index is available for cross referencing. Liberal use is made throughout the book of both summary tables and black-and-white photographs with complete listings of each in the table of contents. Unfortunately, many of the photographs are dark with poor resolution, making it difficult for the reader to see full detail.
Information in each chapter is systematically organized into sections covering an introduction to the species, husbandry, history taking, restraint/physical examination, diagnostic sampling, surgery and anesthesia, and common diseases. The husbandry sections are further subdivided into environmental considerations, nutrition, transport, grooming, and water quality, as appropriate. These discussions are particularly useful and would greatly assist a veterinary technician or veterinarian in probing an owner regarding home care of the exotic pet and management-related disease conditions.
Sections on restraint and physical examination give straightforward instructions regarding the handling of various exotic animals, often a difficult task for the inexperienced technician or veterinarian. The text emphasizes important species-specific safety concerns, for example, bites inflicted by improperly restrained reptiles and injuries from hedgehog quills. There is also discussion of iatrogenic injury and recognition of handler-induced stress, for example, the emphatic “put it down” text in the avian chapter and vertebral fractures in rabbits.
As might be expected from the ambitious range of species covered, text on diagnostic technique and sampling for blood, urine, microbiologic studies, and radiography is occasionally redundant between chapters and inconsistent in depth for all species. Text on parasitologic information is superficial and other resources would need to be consulted for further details on techniques for sample collection and examination. Descriptions of anatomical locations of veins and other structures could be enhanced by more line drawings, as are used in the description of avian bone marrow aspiration. The section on the technique for obtaining blood from rodents includes a description and photograph of retroorbital bleeding, a less appropriate technique for the inexperienced, because of the potential for corneal injury. These sections do supply useful recommendations, however, regarding needle gauges, blood volumes that can safely be removed, and reference ranges for clinical pathologic parameters for the species covered.
The sections on surgery and anesthesia provide an overview of drug dosages, anesthetic induction, patient monitoring, and patient surgical preparation, and they include a number of useful tables for quick reference. Recommendations are given for postoperative fluids and analgesia for some species. The descriptions of diseases give overviews of several important conditions for each species but are not exhaustive.
Overall, this introductory manual provides good technical background information for a breadth of species that is otherwise difficult to find in a single reference. The text is written in an engaging and informal style that makes for easy reading. The book is well suited for its intended audience, and nonspecialist practitioners may also find it to be a handy reference for reviewing husbandry and handling requirements of less commonly encountered species.