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Preface

I am honored to have been asked to edit the fourth edition of Fowler's Medicine and Surgery of Camelids. The previous editions of this text, originally published in 1989 as Medicine and surgery of South American camelids: llama, alpaca, vicuña, guanaco, and most recently published in 2010 with contributions from Dr. Walter Bravo, have been seminal works on veterinary medicine, surgery, husbandry, and general management of camelids and these foundational references have influenced most other works published on the subject. To say “I have big shoes to fill” would be an understatement. When Dr Fowler first authored this text, the camelid industry was an emerging industry in North America and was largely considered an exotic farm animal species. At that time, most of the veterinary practice on these animals was based largely on anecdotal evidence and extrapolation from other domestic species.

Dr LaRue Johnson in his 1989 Veterinary Clinics of North America on “Llama Medicine,” challenged the next generation of camelid scientists to fill the void in the veterinary literature on the subject. Over the past three decades since Drs Fowler and Johnson published their initial works, the camelid industry in North America grew to peak around the turn of the century. Though their commercial population has since declined, the demand for veterinary care and scientific information persists. Today, camelids can hardly be considered an exotic farm animal species in North America as they once were, and much has been learned about these creatures. We have learned that there are many similarities between them and their ruminant counterparts, but we have also learned of significant differences precluding us from making broad generalizations and highlighting the need for camelid‐specific veterinary references. Today, PubMed alone indexes over 3600 articles (MeSH Major Topic) published since Dr Johnson's call in 1989. There will always be more to discover but we are answering that call. Though this edition still retains much of the information published in previous editions, I hope the reader of the fourth edition finds that much of the anecdotal evidence in previous editions has been supported or replaced with peer‐reviewed, evidence‐based, scientific information.

Murray Fowler is a legacy in the fields of camelid and exotic animal medicine. The breadth of his veterinary knowledge was unparalleled, and I cannot think of a veterinarian who has had as great an impact on the profession than he. Though my personal interaction with Murray Fowler was not extensive prior to his passing in 2014, I am grateful to have known him for a short time. He was always very supportive and encouraging of me in my early career, and he treated me as if I was a long‐time acquaintance and a respected colleague in the field. He was also willing to take time and go out of his way to offer me advice full of wisdom gained from his illustrious career, or share a related story or antidote, of which he had many.

Though all of my interactions with Murray were related to the field of camelid veterinary medicine, and I realize that many reading this probably know him best for his work with llamas and alpacas, his legacy is perhaps greatest in the field of Zoo and Wildlife medicine. He is recognized as the father of zoological medicine. He was the founder of the American College of Zoological Medicine and the first veterinarian who began teaching zoological medicine in a university setting. He has been described by close colleagues as “a veterinarian that was not afraid of taking on anything,” and his accomplishments and achievements run throughout the profession. Learning about his career and accomplishments in so many facets of veterinary medicine is truly humbling.

As I said at the beginning, I am honored to have been given this opportunity, and I realize that I am filling some really big shoes. I certainly could not have done it without the continuous, loving support of my wife, Laurie, and children, Zach and Hannah. Their patience and support with me as I spent countless hours writing, reviewing, and editing we're paramount in the success of this work. I also thank my parents and sister for the love and encouragement with all of my personal and professional endeavors and for instilling in me a work ethic and teaching me that I can accomplish anything.

After I agreed to lead this new edition, one of my earliest realizations was that, unlike Drs. Fowler and Bravo, I would not be able to do this alone, and I would make it a multi‐authored work. I want to thank all of those who contributed to this fourth edition. First, I would like to thank the authors of the chapters. Your expertise in your various subject areas was an extremely valuable contribution. Many others contributed indirectly to the text, many of whom probably didn't even know that their help and support enabled me and my team to accomplish this enormous task. I thank all of the faculty, residents, interns, and technicians of the Farm Animal service at the Ohio State University (some of whom are co‐authors in the book), who assumed many of my clinical responsibilities during this time.

Additionally, there are many others who have had great influence on my professional career and without them, I would not be in this position today. I have been blessed with a plethora of incredible mentors, advisors, and friends who helped lay my foundation in large animal veterinary medicine and surgery. To name a few, Drs Dave Anderson, Jeff Lakritz, Bruce Hull, Mike Rings, Clare Whitehead, Pam Walker and Chris Cebra, have had an influence by their mentorship, coaching, teaching, and supporting me in all of my endeavors. If it were not for their guidance and coaching, I am certain that I would not have developed my professional interest or knowledge that has positioned me where I am today.

We've done much of the final editing for this new edition during a global pandemic, and there have been many pitfalls, challenges, and unexpected hurdles. During the production, at least three of the authors have lost loved ones. Some endured days without utilities due to unprecedentedly severe and peculiar weather patterns leading to failing power grids. Many of us in academia had to completely restructure our veterinary courses as we learned how to deliver our educational content online, and others had to learn to adjust their clinical practice to a “new normal.” We had to juggle efforts on this text with our daily lives, clinical duties, and our responsibilities to our “day jobs.” It has not been an easy task, and although many obstacles seemed insurmountable, we persevered.

It is my desire that this edition builds positively upon the previous editions of this text and serves as a useful reference for veterinarians, veterinary students, and camelid enthusiasts. Though we have made our best effort at improving accuracy and the evidence‐based medicine included here, we are still learning and undoubtedly there is more yet to discover about these unique animals. I would like to once again give credit to Dr Fowler for establishing the framework for this book and thank all of the many others who contributed substantially to these pages.

“Challenges may come, but you can overcome them and reach the potential destined for you … Keep on the upward trail” – Murray Fowler, 1999.

Andrew J. Niehaus