Abstract
In the clinic, a drug formulary is used regularly, but often a clinical pharmacology text collects dust in the bookcase after graduation from veterinary school. This book may change that.
The book is extremely easy to navigate; each chapter begins with an overview, as well as a detailed and cross-referenced index. Many illustrative diagrams help to clarify concepts, while drug doses are conveniently located in tabular form. References are complete, suggesting a solid foundation in the peer-reviewed literature, and fully cited at the end of each chapter so that it isn’t necessary to look online for clarification.
The book opens with the obligatory section introducing the principles of drug therapy and continues into factors affecting drug disposition — both well explained. Thereafter, it becomes apparent that the editor has a different agenda for this text compared with more traditional texts. In the first of five sections, the author/editor makes the topics clinically relevant by addressing therapeutic monitoring and diseases caused by drug therapy.
A comprehensive section on therapies for infections and infestations (bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic and disinfection) follows. The subsequent section targets specific body systems — an especially useful aspect for practitioners. Each body system includes a review of physiology and pathophysiology as they relate to the choice of therapeutic agents selected for any given condition/disease.
There are numerous pleasant surprises, including topics not generally covered. In the chapter on gastrointestinal pharmacology, Merton Boothe writes about appetite and calorie balance, appetite stimulation, appetite suppression, emetics and anti-emetics, anti-flatulence drugs and biotherapeutics (pro-, pre- and synbiotics). More expected drug categories, as well as therapy for specific diseases of the gastrointestinal system from the mouth to the colon, and hepatic and pancreatic disease, are covered.
The pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease reviews current concepts — a difficult thing to do given the inherent delays between research, writing and publication. Merton Boothe draws from the human literature to illustrate treatment rationale as it applies to veterinary species. A topic of special interest to this reviewer, the sheer volume of concisely summarised literature was impressive.
However, the discussion of pancreatitis highlights a deficiency not unique to this book, namely the lack of clear differentiation between cats and dogs. In this case, the content reflects only dogs: fasting cats for pancreatitis is not appropriate.
The fourth section focuses on therapy for the nervous system. This includes anaesthetics, relaxants, anti- convulsants, behaviour-modifying agents and analgesics.
Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating therapy is extensively covered. The actions and evidence for clinical use of chondroprotective agents receives considerable coverage, as do analgesic options. The chemotherapy chapter is practical and suitable for the practising small animal clinician.
Included in the appendices are sample phamacological calculations and nutritional aspects of pharmacology.
In summary, this book is a very valuable resource for inclusion in the clinic library. This reviewer suspects that it will quickly become ‘dog-eared’ through regular use; the copy reviewed is certainly well on its way to such a state. If there were a star system, this book would receive a 4.5 out of 5 stars.