Amphibian Medicine and
Captive Husbandry
Mick Bajcar
Author: Kevin M. Wright and Brent R. Whitaker
Publisher: Krieger Publishing Company
ISBN: 0-89464-917-5 October 2001
Black and white colour plates
Price: Hardback £117.95
About
the book
This work is designed to introduce veterinary practitioners to the diagnosis
and treatment of disease in captive amphibians. It covers various aspects
of amphibian captive husbandry and propagation while providing the reader with a
foundation on which to evaluate a given husbandry routine. The diagnosis
of disease in amphibians by the application of basic clinicopathologic
techniques is discussed, and infectious, metabolic, nutritional, neoplastic and
idiopathic disorders of amphibians are also covered.
My comments:
There is an old adage that first impressions last longest. This mighty tome
certainly passes this test. It is a superbly bound, hard-backed book of 499
pages with chapters written by various experts in their fields. It contains 230
or so glossy colour photographs and numerous black and white photographs and
sketches.
Though clearly aimed at the professional veterinarian the book
starts with basics, evolution, taxonomy, anatomy and physiology. A chapter
follows on amphibian husbandry and whilst the experienced keeper will gain
little from this, it is nonetheless an excellent summary of the requirements of
captive anurans and in which Dendrobatids feature prominently. This is followed
with chapters on diet and nutritional disorders. Spindle leg is mentioned here
and it is suggested that Vitamin B deficiency may be a cause, alleviated by
either the addition of a Vitamin B complex to the tadpole water or the addition
of live aquatic vegetation or algae as a tadpole food.
The book then moves onto the veterinary aspects, much of which goes
over my head, Clinical Techniques, Restraint and Euthanasia, Microbiology,
Haematology, Trauma, Fungal, Bacterial and Parasitic Infection. There is
up to date information on Chytrid fungus and its treatment. In the
Chapter entitled Idiopathic Syndromes, spindle-leg is further described
and the work of Malcolm Peaker, Bob Davies, Steve Halfpenny and Chuck Powell
is mentioned (BDG members past and present.) Edema (Oedema) syndrome, a condition
where frogs swell due to water retention is described though this does not
appear to have an identified cause. Further chapters cover Quarantine, Breeding,
Spontaneous Neoplasia, Pharmacotherapeutics and Pathology. |
|
I feel that this book is a must for any Veterinarian who is
likely to regularly deal with amphibians as well as for the keepers of
Zoological collections. The majority of us have to consult vets who have little
specialist knowledge of amphibians, and it could be that if we own this book we
could identify the problems for our vets to deal with.
So this is an incredible book, but at what price?
