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What constitutes a large animal emergency?

Is it every farm call for the mixed practice vet with the 5% farm animal caseload? Is it the dreaded phone call to see a farrowing sow while being the duty vet on call? What about the new graduate vets panicking over the large animal out of hours rota with thoughts of caesareans, uterine prolapses, unpackings, chokes, embryotomies, fractures and ditch rescues racing through their minds? Or is it simply the 5 a.m. call to the experienced veterinarian at 10 degrees below freezing with snow expected and farmer Giles informing you that ‘The heifer in the field down yonder is off colour’ and you get there to find a blown, recumbent heifer that has been attempting to calve a dead rotten calf for the past 6 hours!

These are among some of the unbelievably impossible and truly unimaginable situations we commonly find ourselves presented with when working as veterinarians. We often feel inexperienced and ill prepared to deal with the daunting tasks that we are presented with in both a correct and effective manner, especially if 90% of our caseload is small animal biased!

This book is intended as a quick reference (to keep in your car!) guide to those common large animal emergencies that we can be faced with as practising veterinarians. The author uses his vast knowledge and lifelong experiences in both the UK and abroad to summarize some of the most common, and indeed uncommon, medical and surgical situations encountered in large animal practice. In a simple yet comprehensive way, the author aims to both inform and settle the reader with the goal of providing the veterinarian with the essential information required to become better equipped and prepared when dealing with an emergency – while at all times keeping the animal’s well-being at the forefront.

As a new graduate veterinarian myself, I feel we are often overwhelmed and underpre-pared for the harsh realities that face us in large animal practice. We are thrown in at the deep end upon graduation, and the reality of this in my experience is often vastly different from college textbooks and theory! This book is practically minded, focusing more on the ‘how tos’ as opposed to the ‘whys?’, and provides a logical and rational approach to large animal cases with the author’s wealth of experience to back it up.

As my guide and mentor as a newly qualified veterinarian, the author of this book, Graham Duncanson, can only be described as a true inspiration. His enthusiasm for life and work is exceptional, along with his desire to continue to develop himself professionally. He is a very ‘hands on’ teacher and is happy to share his wealth of experience with others. His positive ‘can do’ attitude and kind-hearted, encouraging nature towards veterinary students and younger members of the profession is admirable and something we should all aspire to achieve.

Katie Rosslee

BSc (Hons) BVetMed MRCVS