Abstract
This book is a new addition to the popular Self-Assessment Colour Review series. The book consists of 225 illustrated questions based on clinical cases, followed by answers with detailed explanations.
This volume follows the well-established layout that readers may be familiar with from using other books in this series. It is well spaced out with two questions per page and the answers on the following overleaf page, making it quick and easy to find the answers to each question. Beautiful excellent quality colour photographs accompany each question, which really increases the reader's interest in the cases, improves awareness of the clinical significance of the problems, and aids in remembering some of the important aspects of the clinical cases.
The authors have aimed to cover all aspects of feline medicine and have managed to do so extremely well, with a number of questions on the musculoskeletal system, endocrinology, dermatology, haematopoietic system, upper respiratory tract diseases, ocular disorders, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, urology, cardiovascular problems, metabolic disorders, oral diseases, neurology, reproduction/developmental disorders, hepatic/pancreatic disease, oncology, lower respiratory tract disease, nutrition, therapeutics and toxicology.
The questions are presented in a random order, so by just looking at a few pages the reader is presented with a range of topics. However, if the reader wishes to look at all the questions on a particular subject area, there is a page at the front of the book listing question numbers under topic headings.
Throughout the book, wherever relevant, additional information on equipment and procedures is also provided. These additions cover topics for everyone from simple techniques like cystocentesis and placing a naso-oesophageal tube, to more complex procedures such as performing blood transfusions and measuring central venous pressure.
The questions are set at a variety of standards making it a very versatile book, suitable for all with an interest in felinemedicine, fromveterinary students and nurses, to general practitioners and referral clinicians. The book will be a particularly useful aid for anyone undertaking any examinations including veterinary degree finals, nursing examinations and medicine certificates.
The preface of this book sets out its aims. It is not intended as a reference or indeed a text, but a source of photographs of both normal and diseased ocular structures. This it has been achieved very well indeed. Some of the images are spectacularly beautiful enough to make you gasp with amazement. Fortunately, the authors have generously included details of the photographic equipment and settings they used.
The atlas is well laid out and thankfully in hardback making it a hardwearing book, essential for most veterinary practices. The reproduction of the images is very good so that none of the wonderful photographs is frustrated by poor printing. The book follows the conventional format for atlases in that chapters are arranged from anterior to posterior structures. Some of the legends could be elaborated with regard to the signalment of the case but this would probably be the only criticism.
For those in general practice this book is a useful and inspiring atlas, and an excellent means to illustrate points to clients in consultations. In particular, there is a large retinal chapter with excellent normal and diseased images. Schematic illustrations are used to illustrate anatomical locations of lesions. The fundus is often an area of mystery to the unacquainted and this book helps to lessen the intimidation.
Those studying towards a Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology will enjoy the comprehensive photographic coverage of ophthalmic diseases. Ophthalmology is a visual discipline and no amount of descriptive text can replace an image. That being said, this book is not intended to be the sole preparation for examinations and the preface makes this clear.
I would recommend this book as a great compliment to standard reference texts, not least as a fabulous book to flick through on those all too rare coffee breaks.