Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician

Comprehensive full color textbook on common exotic species, written specifically for vet techs in classroom or clinical settings

Now in its fourth edition, Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician is a comprehensive yet clear introduction to exotic animal practice for veterinary technicians in the classroom and clinical settings alike. With an emphasis on the exotic species most likely to find their way to a veterinary practice, the book offers coverage of birds, reptiles, amphibians, exotic companion mammals, and wildlife. It also features discussions of anatomy, restraint, common diseases, radiology, anesthesia and analgesia, clinical skills, surgical assisting, and parasitology.

This edition offers new updates throughout, including new chapters related to critical care feeding of exotic companion mammals, reptile infectious diseases, and exotic animal rehabilitation. It also provides full-color photos, including radiographs.

Designed to provide technicians with all the information necessary to confidently and competently treat exotic patients, Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician offers easy-to-follow descriptions of common procedures and techniques. A companion website delivers review questions and images from the book in PowerPoint format.

Topics covered in Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician include:

• Herpetoculture and reproduction, covering captive bred versus wild caught, quarantining, methods of sex determination, and reproductive behavior
• Criteria to determine water quality for fish, including pH, oxygen, temperature, chlorine and chloramine, and salinity
• Clinical techniques for degus, including oral (PO), subcutaneous (SC), intramuscular (IM), intraperitoneal (IP), catheter placement, and wound management
• Role of the veterinary technician in wildlife rehabilitation, covering clinical protocols, intake procedures, ethical considerations, and choosing treatment routes

Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician is an essential reference for veterinary technician students, along with veterinary technicians working in an exotic practice, or veterinary technicians who work in a small animal practice where adding exotic patients is being considered.

Bonnie Ballard, DVM, has worked in veterinary medicine since 1974. As program director, she developed the Veterinary Technology Program at Gwinnett Technical College in 1997. In 2018, she retired from Gwinnett Technical College and now works with the Escambia County Sea Turtle Patrol.

Ryan Cheek, LVTg, VTS (ECC) has taught veterinary technology at Gwinnett Technical College since 2007, first as an adjunct instructor, then a full-time instructor for eleven years before becoming the program director in 2018. He has 25 years’ experience in exotics and emergency/critical care.