Wednesday, August 25, 2010

handy home veterinary reference

This is a must have reference book for any cat owner!

I have the older edition (as shown), Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook,which was published in 1995. There is a revised version from 2007, Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, Fully Revised and Updated,which I hope to get my hands on soon.
Being hypersensitive to my cats' health, I would often run my cat over to the vet at the first sign of something odd. In hopes of reducing vet bills and laughter from my vet, I have sought out a book of this type. I wanted a simple yet comprehensive reference text that will provide a greater understanding of feline medical issues.

The vast majority of books seem to focus on both cats and dogs. The other challenge is finding a book that provides just the right amount of information - some were too general and lacked enough detail while others were too detailed and required a doctorate in veterinary medicine to understand the medical-speak. I found this 419 page book to be just right, it provides detail written for the layman and lots of pictures (200+). Each medical issue contains a helpful description, possible causes and treatment options.

I agree completely with this blurb from the dust jacket, especially the bit about being able to better communicate with your vet about what is going on: "Clearly written, step-by-step directions give you vital information at your fingertips: when you can treat your cat yourself and how to communicate signs and symptoms so that your veterinarian can give your pet the best care possible."

The thing that really sold me on this book was the Index of Signs and Symptoms which is easy to find on the inside of the front cover and the first page. This list makes it really easy to look up the concerning symptom and read all the possibilities.

My biggest complaint about the book is that it lacks information on specific medications. Each time my vet prescribes a medication, I like to do some research on the medication to better understand what it does, side effects and possible dangers. It would be great if this information was included in the revised version!

There is also a version of this book for dogs by the same authors. Dog owners may want to check it out, and you can let me know if it is worthwhile. Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for sending in your comments!