Customer Reviews

Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook: Pocket Edition

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

if you are in the veterinary field, you need this book!! I have bought the newest edition of Plumbs as each one has come out. If a medication is used in veterinary treatments, approved or not for animal use, Plumbs will tell you everything about that drug. Drawbacks, cautions, dosages,(including which dosage for different species, as well as dosages for different problems). I have been a vet tech for close to 30 years, and this is the best drug referance I have ever used.

As anyone who has attended veterinary school can attest to, good books are both a saving grace and an incredible burden.

Plumb is an incredible resource, providing detailed information on an expansive list of drugs. Truly this is a comprehensive and invaluable resource for any veterinary student and I'd imagine I'll be using the updated version of the desk reference in practice when I graduate (and can afford it).

However, this pocket version is simply not worth your money. Merely three days after I received this in the mail the binding started cracking and now several pages are falling out. This is a thick book and probably should have been bound in hardcover like the Merck manual, which is comparable in size. For something that costs over twice as much as the Merck, this cost saving measure is unwarranted and unappreciated.

So as the title states, I'm disappointed with my purchase. I'm a person that takes good care of my reference materials so that they last and this literally started falling apart in days. If you absolutely need this text, I'd suggest buying the desk reference instead. A classmate of mine opted for that version and while it is also paperback, its pages are significantly wider which limits its thickness and she's had no problems with the binding thus far.

As a passionate Veterinary Surgeon that likes to be updated about every subject and wants to make the most of its work time, this is a practical and very accurate companion to be around...I possess some of the current veterinary drug formularies and most of them tend to be breef in their descripitons and information (sometimes too breef)...When doubt arises about a certain drug, if you can't find it anywhere you'll certainly find it in Plumb's..."Can i use this in a dog/cat/snake ? what's the dosage ? what are the contra-indications and possible side effects ?"...Plumb's life's goal is to provide rapid and clear answers to these and many other questions...I strongly reccomend this book to every Vet in the USA...

This is the very best pharmaceutical book I have ever owned.
What makes it so worth the price is that not only are the drugs
listed alphabetically by name, but also you can reference them by
use- for example "Otic preparations" "Opthalmic analgesics" and etc...
Plus, it is very complete in giving you a wide range of dosages and is very inclusive of all veterinary drugs on the market. Truly a wonderful book.

I really like the content of the handbook. This is the second time I have had to purchase the CD. My computer crashed and I lost the CD from the first purchase. The only thing I do not like with this version is that I can not load it onto my computer and I have to have the CD in the computer to run the handbook. This slows it down considerably.

I'm writing this review because a critical review seems to be missing from the love-fest regarding this reference.
First off, there are simply too many doses listed for each drug. Nearly every dose that has ever been used in any published veterinary study is listed in the dosing section for each drug. Simply put, it's easy to be mislead by this reference. A fine example can be found by researching corticosteroids. Many of the listed doses for inflammatory conditions actually fall well within and often surpass immunosuppressive dose ranges. A better reference would simply state "anti-inflammatory dose is x mg/kg, immunsuppressive dose is x mg/kg" rather than citing a study from 1965 that used a dose of x mg/kg in 30 beagles with intervertebral disc disease.
Secondly, some doses listed appear to be a little sketchy. An example is the listed dose for Metronidazole. Plumb would have you dose well above the known dose inducing neurological toxicity.
I do, however appreciate the new sections on topicals and nutrition.
Rather than just following convention and purchasing this old standby, consider Papich's formulary. He's a veterinary pharmacist and cuts through a lot of the clutter. A very practical and safe reference.

This book is a must have for any veterinarian or veterinary pharmacist. Has drug info for many species and off label use as well.

I've been a vet for over 20 years and find this book to be a very useful resource in everyday practice. The dosages are up to date, and there are many helpful tidbits of information. I find myself referring to "Plumb's" several times a week.
I keep the "pocket" edition at home (though it hardly fits in a pocket!) and use the full sized edition at work.

I recommend this book not only for veterinarians, but people who are in direct care of the patients, such as Veterinary Technicians, assistants, etc. It was my "bible" during school and helpful on a daily basis. Great book!

Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook is the best reference book I have
read yet!!!Ease in finding drug listings as well as information
about the meds and their interactions makes this book well worth
the price