(Part 2) Best veterinary medicine books according to redditors

In general all dogs come in low, medium and high energy. For these breeds that means 2, 3 or 4+ minimum hours of exercise a day to keep them under control. Most people, honestly, wont be able to to deliver 2 hours of exercise let alone the other levels. Exercise for a Husky isn't just sniffing about in a park. They need intensive play and running to keep them balanced. The Akita needs puzzles as well as they're a but more intelligent.

It is possible to get a dog that will be happy with 1 hour but there is NO way of telling the energy level of your dog as a puppy (you can read about this on the GREAT book The Dogs Mind ). This means it's a lottery that most people shouldn't play. It's better to get a rescue over 18 months so you can see it's personality/energy levels.

Both Akitas and Husky require a very disciplined handler. If you lose your temper both dogs will start to not respect you and then they become very disobedient/unruley. Both (but particularly Akitas) are VERY stubborn, both are highly inquisitive and both have very high prey drives. They will chase cats, birds, small dogs, deer and one I know chases Dustman's Lorries. Getting these habits under control takes a lot of work and calm methodical application of training techniques over months if not years. Often it means changing where you walk the dog which can be very inconvenient for the owner (some are too bored in local parks and cause problems but are fine in local woods for example).

Both are very mouthy (but especially Akitas) during adolescence and many people think they're being bitten but it's just play. All spitz breed dogs play in similar ways and it often involves chasing and biting the neck of the other dog as well as running along side and barging each other (simulated hunting). Inexperienced owners fail to see when it's gone from play to harassment and potential danger for the 'victim' dog. It's normal behaviour and should be allowed but stopped as soon as the other dogs shows stress or either owner shows stress. With the high prey drive this can be very tricky to do.

The Husky doesn't really benefit from being left alone for more than a few hours a day while the Akita is more independent and some can be trained to tolerate being left for four hours a day. This doesn't fit with most peoples lifestyle though.

They are both loyal and are VERY rewarding dogs but you need to be prepared to change your whole life to suit the dog or be prepared to give up the dog if you can't do the best for it (this is hard for the human, the dog is honestly fine after a few days in a new stable pack).

After Twilight (the movie) many wolf like dogs (spitz breed) are trapped in houses that can't cope leading to aggressive dogs and frightened owners. My vet has destroyed more in the last five years than in the previous fifteen years because owners are in way too deep and the dog's bitten them or worse a child. Both breeds can easily make mistakes they are life changing for the recipient of the mistake.

Sorry for the rant but they really aren't dogs for the faint hearted.

Sorry about the wall of text. Here are some suggestions from Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. You probably don't need all of it, because your dog probably isn't as out of control as most dogs that get referred to clinical behaviorists. But I think you'll find some good ideas here, especially the behavior therapy part after the bullets.

• Identify all situations in which the aggression occurs so that the possibility of conflicts and competition can be minimized

• If aggression during feeding is an issue, feed the dogs in different parts of the house

• Do not allow the dogs to greet visitors or family members excitedly together. Teach them to sit and stay quietly during greetings

• Do not allow the dogs to run the fence line aggressively together. Block access to windows where the pets demonstrate territorial aggression

• Deny free access to highly desirable objects for which the pets might compete (raw hide, bones)

• Use control devices such as leashes, head halters, or muzzles to ensure that no family members or pets are injured

• Separate the dogs entirely where necessary, at least at times when aggression might occur. Use separate crates or kennels or house in separate areas of the home

• Avoid physical punishment and harsh scoldings. The goal is to make the dogs more relaxed around each other and this is less likely to take place if either dog receives something aversive in the presence of the other

• The initial goal is for owners to have sufficient control of both dogs when they are at home so that the dogs respond appropriately when the owners are present. Each dog should be trained separately to respond immediately to commands to sit, stay, come, leave it, go to its bed and watch

• Both dogs should be on a “sit for all interactions” program

• Once the family members have sufficient control of each dog, the dogs can be reintroduced on walks and then in the home

• Any acceptable social interaction or behavior should be reinforced with praise and/or food

• It is not a matter of who gets rewards first but rather which behaviors need to be shaped and rewarded. Reward appropriate behavior and prevent undesirable behavior. Identify triggers for aggression and either prevent or train and reward alternative desirable behaviors

If and when the owners have sufficient verbal and physical control (e.g. head halter) for safe reintroduction, they might then begin reward training and counterconditioning in those situations that have not historically led to problems (preferably with physical control of a head halter and one handler per dog). Initial reintroduction might begin on walks. The pets should be closely watched for appropriate social behavior and reinforced with praise and food (unless giving treats is a trigger for aggression). Each time there are any signs of arousal, the dog can be requested to “Leave it” or “Watch” using an upbeat tone.

Over many walks, the dogs are walked closer and closer together until the entire walk goes smoothly without the need for distraction or interruption. Then, when the dogs come back into the house, they might hang out together on leashes (with head halter if needed). Resources over which the dogs might fight should be removed. The entire time that the dogs are together, the owner is watching and giving commands and rewards for behaviors that will avoid situations in which fights might arise.

Anytime either of the dogs shows signs of arousal that might precede aggression, the owner should call one of the dogs or give a cue to “Leave it” or “Watch” (with the aid of the leash if needed) and have the dog sit, or send it to its bed. This sequence mimics normal disengagement body language of averting the gaze and stepping away. Over time, the dogs should look to the owner for help when they are anxious about interactions.

Over time, it might be possible to reward train, desensitize, and countercondition near resources and in the situations where the dogs formerly would fight, although in some cases it might be most prudent simply to avoid the situation, if possible. Once the dogs are more relaxed and under dependable family control, the conditioning can take place in a variety of controlled situations. In some cases, the family can only hope to have the dogs together with supervision to police the dogs’ actions, and control access to resources.

> We are a no kill shelter ... nor will it be receiving good care as the workers are tertified are will most likely be useing the pole to relocate the dog for walks and cage cleanings until we can find a solution.

Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats would probably be a really valuable resource for your shelter.

I have a few clients that went out and bought a Plumb's once their pet's got older and needed more medications. I don't think they used it often but it was a good reference.

Edit: I deleted my other comments because, looking back, I was wrong to be rude to u/practicaltheorist. Sorry.

this is a great book on restraint techniques. i would also suggest getting a book on veterinary medical terminology...it will make so many things so much easier for you to understand. good luck!

As a final year student imma level with you. I crammed pharms with mnemonics the week before my exam and it left my brain just as quickly. I learnt mostly ALL I know about pharms from our clinical lectures (ie diagnose this treat with this) and during my clinical training.

Not sure if it's just me but I really struggled with the rote learning section of vetsci that was tox, pharms and infectious disease.

Through clinics I learnt the important drugs and the side effects that matter.
Books that are useful but mostly for clinical reference and less so for studying are:

If you're more into small animals - BSAVA Small Animal Formulary

If you're more into mixed practice - Saunders Veterinary Drugs

Maybe it's not what you wanted to hear but I can tell you with all confidence that you are not the first and you are not the last student to struggle with pharmacology.

Good luck I hope it helps

That was in people. Not cats. As trinklest mentioned, you have to tread lightly. Pets are not little people and react very very differently to medications. While some medications can work similarly in humans and animals, a great many do not even if we are talking about the same target organs. You don't hear of using serum therapy in people for eye ulcers, but that is a wonderful and frequently used treatment in pets. You can use Gentamicin ophthalmic drops in infants for conjunctivitis, but in rodents has to be used sparingly or it causes systemic effects and in some species can't be used at all. Pain management is one of the most commonly messed up things in pets when human doctors attempt to home medicate. The number of dogs and cats brought to the vet in liver or kidney failure because their well meaning MD owner dosed them with either over the counter or prescription pain meds like an infant would astound you.

Many of the studies in medications, unless specifically noted as being veterinary or animal based, cannot be correlated to pets. Please do not insult another Doctor with a snottly link to a human study that may mean bupkiss to their field. Remember Veterinarians are doctors too. They just deal with all the other species other than humans. AND have to keep all those other species physiological and anatomical differences straight.

If you really want to be less than a thorn in your vet's side, get a copy of Plumbs (http://www.amazon.com/Plumbs-Veterinary-Drug-Handbook-Pocket/dp/0470959657/ref=la_B000AP9VOQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411351762&sr=1-1) along with the book recommended.

If you want to give her a book Smith's Large Animal Internal Medicine is one of the more popular books for large animal students. Personally, I wouldn't buy her a stethoscope or I would ask her to pick it out. People have different preferences and its an expensive gift to get wrong.

http://smile.amazon.com/Large-Animal-Internal-Medicine-5e/dp/0323088392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453399550&sr=8-1&keywords=large+animal+internal+medicine

> I don't over dust if you mean dusting food.

Well neither did I when I first got started.
It's just that the powder gets caked up in their sinus as they have these two plates in their nose where it can collect in this pocket in there.

I've seen the chams try to lick their mouths and clean everything up after eating.... more being fed on dusted (light or not) than non dusted insects. (YMMV)

> I also learned (I think from this sub even) that chameleon puss isn't like human puss - it's hard/firm.

Um, I know I didn't say that.
I think that the person who said that was mistaken
All puss is fluid as it's is formed as part of the immune systems response to infection. "Hard and Firm"
I'm sorry but that's just wrong.
IF anything, it's dried puss that they're referring too.


> the pus kind of came forward/out of the eye but it was more of the consistency of spray foam which is why it ended up having to be flushed.

I wonder if you did this flushing yourself?
I spent a few hours talking to Scott Stahl a few months ago and his opinion of eye flushing is one thing when he does it.
Its very much a "do not do" for the owner to attempt.

Thanks for the images.

Yes I've seen those in the past.
I view it as a sinus infection / ulceration and the infection of the eye orbits is a common complication.

That's also a rather swollen eye there.
I would have also hit that hard with something that did cover gram positive and negative bacteria (frothy discharge might be yeast)
and for something that deep into the orbit (with a sinus infection) I would have gone oral vs injections into the muscle. Once again Baytril is kinda my "go too" when if these pop up and it hits both the G +/- bacteria

> That's really awesome you've done so much research and have done so much for the community by helping bring it all together.

Thanks, I've certainly put in my 10,000 hours.
:)

Let me google this for you? 1, 2, 3

Nelson and Couto for IM questions http://www.amazon.com/Small-Animal-Internal-Medicine-5e/dp/0323086829

Fossum for surgery. http://www.amazon.com/Small-Animal-Surgery-Theresa-Fossum/dp/0323100791/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415243914&sr=1-1&keywords=fossum+surgery

That's plenty to get started.

These two books:

https://www.amazon.ca/Mosbys-Comprehensive-Review-Veterinary-Technicians/dp/0323171389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483809922&sr=8-1&keywords=mosby+comprehensive+review+veterinary+technician

https://www.amazon.ca/Review-Questions-Answers-Veterinary-Technicians/dp/0323316956/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=83FX6WPRF4DRT2PQER02

I found a lot of the questions on the VTNE were harder than the questions on the phone apps they have available. Mosby's came closer to the real deal.

Looking for either of these textbooks. $10 via paypal each.

McCurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians

and

Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians

https://www.amazon.com/McCurnins-Clinical-Textbook-Veterinary-Technicians/dp/0323394612/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536549009&sr=1-1&keywords=mccurnin%27s+clinical+textbook+for+veterinary+technicians&dpID=51uqjep%252BZIL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

​

https://www.amazon.com/Clinical-Anatomy-Physiology-Veterinary-Technicians/dp/0323227937/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536549123&sr=1-1&keywords=clinical+anatomy+and+physiology+for+veterinary