Exotic Animal Formulary, Fourth Edition

This is the fourth edition of Dr. Carpenter’s excellent desktop reference for the treatment and care of ‘‘exotic’’ animals. The species covered are only exotic in the sense that they were historically different than the traditional production and companion animals. Many of the species covered would be considered quite common today. Twenty-three veterinarians contributed to the formulary. The book is divided into 13 chapters plus 11 ‘‘selected’’ appendices. The chapters include: invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, the marsupial sugar gliders, hedgehogs, rodents, rabbits, ferrets, miniature pigs, primates, and wildlife. The appendices primarily address general information applicable to most of the preceding chapters. Examples include classification of selected antimicrobials used in exotic animal medicine; determining the basal metabolic rate of animals; allometric scaling of drugs used in animals; and common weight, liquid measure, and length conversions. The book is written primarily for zoo and clinical veterinarians, but it could be useful for wildlife veterinarians dealing with captive animals. The wildlife chapter is fairly brief, focusing on wildlife rehabilitation. Each chapter is subdivided into antimicrobial agents, antifungal agents, antiparasitic agents, chemical restraint/anesthetic agents, analgesic agents, and tables on hematologic and serum biochemical values. Some chapters include additional information on hormones, steroids, nutrition, or other topics of value. Each subcategory consists of three columns: chemical agent, dosage, and comments. The chemical agents are listed alphabetically often with the trade name in parentheses. There usually are several dosages for each agent reflecting different routes of administration, conditions, or species. Many dosages are linked to the source reference. Effective use of the formulary requires an initial differential diagnosis. One then uses the subcategory to find the agent specific for the treatment of the condition. The appendices provide information on antimicrobial efficacies against selected microbes and the treatment of urinary tract infections, skin infections, and other common conditions. Only the chapter on amphibians provided differential diagnoses by predominant signs, a feature that would have been useful for all chapters. The index is only four pages long, yet there are hundreds to thousands of agents, conditions, and species mentioned in the text. Comparable formularies have far more extensive indices. Perhaps all these terms would be overwhelming to index, but modern desktop publishing software greatly simplifies this task. Most users would start with the index if they know the condition. For example, pasteurellosis is neither listed individually, nor even as a condition under ‘‘Rabbits.’’ Nonetheless, there is no comparable formulary on the market for these species and the wealth of information easily justifies the modest price. Carpenter’s formulary is a must for veterinarians and others dealing with these species.