Evelyn MacKay, DVM Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Large Animal Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences Food Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, TX USA
Kanyon McLean, DVM Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum Montgomery, AL USA
Daniel Perez Mora, BS (Animal Sci), DVM Tri County Mobile Veterinary Services Woodland, CA USA
Andrew J. Niehaus, DVM, MS, DACVS‐LA Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons–Large Animal Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
M. Judith Radin, DVM, PhD Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists (Clinical Pathology) Department of Veterinary Biosciences Clinical Laboratories College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
Shannon K. Reed, DVM, MS Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons–Large Animal Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Food Animal Medicine & Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Texas A&M University College Station, TX USA
Jaylyn Rhinehart, DVM, MS Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Cardiology Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Cardiology and Interventional Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
Erin E. Runcan, DVM Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Theriogenology & Reproductive Medicine Service College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
Rebecca Urion, DVM, MAg Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Radiology Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Diagnostic Imaging College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
Robert J. Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition) Department of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences College of Agricultural Sciences Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA USA
Grace VanHoy, DVM, MS Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Large Animal Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Pamela G. Walker, DVM, MS Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine–Large Animal Camelid Care Veterinary Services Grove City, OH USA Maxey L. Wellman, DVM, MS, PhD Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathologists (Clinical Pathology) Department of Veterinary Biosciences Clinical Laboratories College of Veterinary Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA
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,