Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

If you are one of those people that want to be able to find answers to questions on your own, no matter how technical, this is a good book for you. First, this review is being written from the perspective of a pet owner, NOT a veterinarian. I do have 20 years experience interacting with human clinicians (doctor, pharmacists, nurses, etc.) so I am familiar with more medical jargon than most people. However, I believe that a motivated student could gain a lot of knowledge from this book. I have used it much more than I anticipated since I got it. The book covers the following animals: Dogs Cates Small Mammals (Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents) Reptiles Birds However, the majority of the focus of the book is on dogs and cats. There is an entire chapter dedicated to homemade pet food and all the considerations that are required if you are going to undertake such an endeavor. There is far more to it than I realized to make certain that your animal is getting all the nutrients that they require for good health. The book covers a lot of simple information like how many calories to feed an animal varied by age and activity level. There are entire chapters dedicated to Nutritional Management of Animals that are experiencing health problems, these are: Hospitalized patients Obesity Adverse Reactions to Food Skin and Hair Disorders Dental Disease Orthopedic Disease in Dogs Cardiovascular Disease Renal Disease Canine Urolithiasis Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease Gastrointestinal and Exocrine Pancreatic Disease Hepatobiliary Disease Endocrine and Lipid Disorders Cancers Fatty Acids in Inflammatory Disease Dietary Effects on Drug Metabolism If you have a question about nutrition for your dog or cat, the answer is undoubtedly in this book somewhere. If you aren't familiar with medical terminology and don't want to be, this might not be the best book for you. However, if you are a motivated student, you can gain a lot from this book even without a current knowledge of medical terminology. I highly recommend this book to animal lovers that want to make the best nutritional choices for the furry members of their family.

The 4th edition of Small Animal Clinical Nutrition is significantly different from the first 3 editions -- expanded, more information, different editors, different organization, etc.Much of this volume is more technical than the average reader wants or needs. It is a textbook used in veterinary schools. But a dedicated reader could gain much from it. Even the average reader could benefit from the chapters on commerical pet foods and on home prepared diets.

Is good to see this book is not just written by nutriologist, there is an important contribution of clinicians dedicated to specific areas.