Interest in the conservation and welfare of Australian native wildlife continues to grow. Veterinarians are now frequently asked to treat these animals and there is increasing veterinary involvement in conservation programs for threatened and endangered species. In Australia and overseas, Australian mammals are used in research, kept as pets and are popular display animals in zoos and fauna parks.
This book gives a detailed account of the unique radiographic anatomy of Australian mammals. It provides veterinary practitioners and zoologists with descriptions and images of normal radiographic anatomy, which will be valuable in the study of these animals and assist with the diagnosis of injury and disease – knowing what is normal is essential in order to recognise what is abnormal.
A discussion of the importance of radiographic technique, covering restraint and positioning of the animal to obtain diagnostic images, is followed by chapters showing the normal radiographic anatomy of short-beaked echidnas, platypus, macropods, koalas, wombats, dasyurids, possums and gliders, bandicoots and the bilby, and bats. Each chapter includes a detailed description of anatomy relevant to radiography and multiple images of normal radiographs with outlines and annotations highlighting structures and organs. Radiology of Australian Mammals also includes a chapter on dental radiology, as well as radiographic pathology case studies describing common diseases and injuries that can be readily diagnosed on radiographs, which will assist veterinary practitioners in making diagnoses in their patients. A checklist of the mammals of Australia and its territories and a glossary of abbreviations and terms used for annotation of images complete the volume.