Abstract
The editor of this book states the objective to be ‘providing practitioners and students with concise and up-to-date information regarding small animal dermatology’. This series of ‘Secrets’ books uses this Socratic method of teaching by proposing questions followed by answers to encourage both learning and self-assessment. The softbound book is compact and light, making it highly portable. It is easy to use and provides many illustrations, 270 of which are in color. The contributing authors comprise a potpourri of clinical dermatologists from across the country and from both private practice and academia.
Although Small Animal Dermatology Secrets can be used for reference as the index is user-friendly, this book was not created as a complete reference resource. Thus, it is not one in which you would go to find all the information about any particular disease or therapy. The chapters contain useful, not comprehensive, key information about various dermatologic topics. The editor comments that ‘the contributors have shared many practice tips’ and this is certainly the case. In most chapters the material is very practical and applicable to the clinical setting, although it may reflect the experiences of each chapter's author.
Why would this book interest you? Because of the varied experiences of the broad range of authors, the information presented resembles well organized topics as they would be covered in continuing education talks. It appears that the editor has allowed each chapter author to select the questions and answers that each perceives as most important.
Small Animal Dermatology Secrets is easily read in short sittings of two or three chapters and it allows the reader to assess their knowledge or to expand it. It does not require comprehensive linking between the various sections, making it ideal reading for the busy practitioner.
The book is divided into nine sections: general principles, therapy, inherited disorders, parasitic skin diseases, infectious skin diseases, inflammatory skin diseases, endocrine and metabolic disorders with cutaneous manifestations, miscellaneous dermatoses, and skin tumors. The authors of the general principles, section of this book have done an outstanding job of covering the most useful and pertinent basic and practical information. This is not to say that this section is a review; this veteran dermatologist learned some things from reading this material! The therapy section often provides answers to questions which commonly are asked but often not well answered. However, if one wants to research a specific type of therapy, doses, drug interactions, specific protocols of administration, this is not the book for that purpose. The remainder of Small Animal Dermatology Secrets is set into disease based topics. Thus for using most of the remainder of the book, especially as it might apply to a patient, one would need to know what category of skin disease they were considering.
Another highlight of this book…some topics are more thoroughly covered in this work than in other dermatology books. These include laser therapy, blepharitis, claw diseases, and perianal fistula disease.
If a reader is looking for a book to learn useful dermatologic information that can be applied quickly and practically, this book takes a large step toward that purpose. If you are interested in learning new and practical information about small animal dermatology quickly and enjoyably, and you like to ask questions, you will find Small Animal Dermatology Secrets a rewarding read.