Introduction to Illustrated Textbook of Clinical Diagnosis in Farm Animals

Taylor & Francis announce the publication of their new textbook Illustrated Textbook of Clinical Diagnosis in Farm Animals which results from a request by undergraduate veterinary students for a ‘5 minute’ reference text that ranks common ruminant diseases showing particular clinical signs or syndromes, such as weakness, tachypnoea/frequent coughing, weight loss, and abdominal distension. The book is designed to complement standard veterinary textbooks and features a comprehensive library of over 1000 video recordings to show how common diseases and disorders typically present on UK farms. Chapters describe clinical examination of each body system with emphasis on key diagnostic tests such as ultrasonography, lumbar cerebrospinal fluid collection and digital radiography and how these can be applied in a cost-effective manner.

For example, published research clearly demonstrates that a sheep's chest can be ultrasound scanned within 30 seconds providing much more accurate information than 5 minutes’ chest auscultation and percussion. The author has used these techniques on farm for the past 30 years yielding many refereed scientific publications and the important findings are reproduced here in the large number of diagnostic video recordings.