Vet Confidential: An Insider's Guide to Protecting Your Pet's Health
Organization is key to this domestic animal guide for obtaining and understanding veterinary care. Focusing primarily on dogs and cats, veterinarian Murray provides questions to ask and information to seek while selecting appropriate pet care. She includes detailed descriptions of everything from vaccines to conditions affecting the eyes, heart, and other internal organs. Medical tests and treatments are discussed, with accompanying subheadings on risks involved and who should conduct the procedures. The author provides Web sites when available for organizations of veterinary specialists (such as oncologists) and discusses the importance of animal behaviorists in assessing the source of a pet’s discomfort. A chapter is devoted to natural medicine, with detailed discussion of homeopathic cures, acupuncture, and herbs. Murray cautions against excessive steroid prescription and advises on determining if a veterinarian has made a mistake in diagnosis or treatment. With numerous checklists and several personal stories, and useful and timely coverage of fiscal matters, Murray’s guidebook serves as the single source for owners seeking the fullest understanding of their pet’s veterinary options and care. --Colleen Mondor