The Feline Patient, 4th Edition

The Feline Patient, Fourth Edition maintains its tradition of providing a comprehensive yet accessible reference to feline diseases. Topics are arranged alphabetically within sections, allowing busy clinicians to rapidly find information on diagnostics and treatment options, all specific to the unique needs of cats. Now bigger and better than ever, the user-friendly Fourth Edition offers a wealth of reliable, up-to-date information for managing feline patients.

This revision includes more than 500 additional clinical photographs and 84 new chapters, with significant expansions to the behavior, clinical procedures, and surgery sections. CT and MRI modalities have been added to the imaging section, already the most extensive collection of feline radiographs and ultrasounds in print. The Feline Patient, Fourth Edition is an essential resource for all practitioners seeing feline patients.

Special Features:

• Offers quick access to comprehensive information on diagnosing and treating diseases in cats
• Fully updated with more than 500 additional clinical photographs and 84 new chapters
• Extensive imaging section now covers CT and MRI as well as radiology and ultrasound
• Contains fourteen new surgery chapters including anesthesia, corneal surgery, cruciate rupture, laser surgery, and luxating patella
• Significant expansion of the behavior, clinical procedure, and surgery sections with numerous new chapters added
• Includes contributions from a global list of authors for increased international perspective

Q&A with Author Gary D. Norsworthy
Author Gary D. Norsworthy Tell us a little bit about your book – who is it aimed at and how will it help them?
The Feline Patient is for the busy private practitioner who needs quick, practical information about feline diseases and conditions. The emphasis of The Feline Patient is on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
What inspired this new edition of The Feline Patient?
The first three editions have all been successful. The need to address more topics, many of them new since the last edition, is why I wanted to update the book with a new edition.

What can fans of the third edition expect to gain from this new work?
The Fourth Edition has about 50% more information than the Third Edition. Many new topics are addressed, and the image count has increased by about 500. It is truly a very new book.

What differentiates your book from others in the field?
Other current feline books have either a “hot topic” or a “comprehensive” approach. These are fine when reading time is available, but veterinary practitioners don’t have this luxury when in an exam room with a sick feline patient on the exam table. This book is designed to retrieve clinically relevant answers quickly.

This book is extremely well illustrated. I have a photo library of over 25,000 images about feline diseases. I have drawn from this collection to supplement the images supplied by the contributing authors so the diseases can be well understood by the reader.

The new edition adds CT and MRI to the imaging section.

Why did you feel it was important to include these modalities alongside radiography and ultrasound?
Although most private practitioners will not own a CT or MRI machine in the near future, these imaging procedures are available in most large cities at veterinary referral centers. Knowing what these modalities can discover about one’s patients helps to decide if a referral is indicated.

You’ve nearly doubled the third edition’s surgery component, adding 14 new chapters. What additions will readers find most valuable?
There are several new orthopedic and soft tissue surgical procedures that practitioners should find helpful, but the expanded surgical vision now encompasses anesthesia, pain management, and physical therapy and rehabilitation.

What do you feel are the reasons for the success of The Feline Patient over the years?
The Feline Patient is designed for the veterinary practitioner who treats cats, whether he or she is in feline-only, companion animal, or mixed practice. I have tried to recruit accomplished authors from around the globe, but I personally edited every chapter for content and practicality. Because I am a private practitioner, I know what other private practitioners want and need to know. I tried to be sure every chapter is directed to that end.

What was the most enjoyable or interesting aspect of writing this book?
I have enjoyed working with veterinarians around the globe who have a desire to improve the care for feline patients. Many of these people have inspired me to continually seek better ways to care for my patients.

What inspired you to focus your veterinary practice on feline medicine?
I prefer the domestic cat as a species. Its independence, loyalty, cleanliness, and affection have caused me to own two or more cats at one time for over four decades. I also like working with cats as patients. They can present restraint challenges that are different from dogs, but they are also fighters when threatened with disease. A species with “nine lives” makes me look like a really good veterinarian.

What advice would you give to a new veterinarian who wants to specialize in feline practice?
Spend time in a practice that sees lots of cats. You need to learn to understand and communicate with cats, which only comes from direct contact. Spend time reading books (The Feline Patient, for example) and journals (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, for example). Information about feline diseases is exploding; you must make a concerted effort to stay current.

If you could change one thing about veterinary practice, what would it be?
The most frustrating part of practice is the financial limitation placed on me by cat owners. I understand their limitations, but they keep me from offering first rate care for many cats. Affordable pet insurance that has minimal exclusions would make it feasible for me to treat more cats successfully.

What would you be if you were not a veterinarian?
Probably a physician. I enjoy restoring patients back to health, even if they do not have nine lives.

How many pets do you have?
Currently, I have two black cats: Gringo, age 10, and Noche, age 1. I have had one or more black cats for over 30 years. Gringo’s picture is on the cover of the Third Edition and the Fourth Edition of the Feline Patient. However, my wife and I had several dogs while our children were at home. I like dogs also, but I really love cats.

What is your day job?
I am a feline-only practitioner. Writing and lecturing about cats are my hobbies.

And finally, what’s next for you?
My Head Technician, Linda Schmeltzer, and I are working on a version of The Feline Patient for veterinary technicians. We hope to address their needs in the same practical way that I have tried to address the needs of the veterinary practitioner.