Book: Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook

[bradl]

This book was recommended to us when we got our first cairn. The cover price was US$25 and it has paid for itself many times over, in peace of mind if not vet bills, over the ten years we've had it. By covering a lot of the common (and hopefully uncommon) veterinary situations that can occur in a dog's life, a reference like this helps us understand and care for our dogs, and helps us partner more effectively with our vet.

"Why is she sneezing? Is that bad? She doesn't seem bothered. Should we be worried? If she's still sneezing tomorrow should we go to the vet? Should we go to the emergency vet right now?" More than once we've sat in the kitchen at 2:00 A.M. reviewing the information in this book and trying to decide if this is an emergency or not, and what we should be doing or looking for to help the vet diagnose what's going on.

This book has an index of symptoms printed right on the inside cover, from Abdomen, painful to Whining, continual. After reading about the various conditions that have that symptom we often feel much better armed to deal with it. At minimum we have some ideas of the possible problems and can help the vet by providing additional information that might be helpful in making a diagnosis. It's also been helpful to review and understand more completely what the vet has said when we got home.

The book includes some photos that help identify certain conditions, and a couple of photos that freak me out. In the edition we have, there are 18 chapters: Emergencies, Worms and Intestinal Parasites, Infections Diseases, Skin, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Oral Cavity, Digestive System, Respiratory System, Circulatory System, Nervous System, Musculoskeletal System, Urinary System, Sex and Reproduction, Pregnancy and Whelping, Pediatrics, Tumors and Cancers, Geriatrics, Drugs and Medications, Antibiotics and Infections, and an Appendix with some assorted tables.

Our version was a 1992 edition; it is now in its third edition and I'm sure it's only gotten more useful and up-to-date since we bought our copy long ago. Whether it's this book or a similar one, I strongly recommend you get some kind of veterinary guide to help you sort through your options when you're concerned about the health and well-being of your beloved Cairn. In fact, I think I'll update our library with the new version this year.