Practical Equine Dermatology

Book Preface

Equine practice has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, at a time when horses are more numerous in the UK than they have ever been. Skin problems have always been common in the horse and often present the clinician with a challenge. The growing need for readily accessible and practical information on equine dermatology presented by modern equine and mixed veterinary practice provided the stimulus for this book.

The aim has been to provide a concise, problem-oriented, text facilitating a well-organised diagnostic approach together with a basic knowledge of dermatology in a practical format illustrated with pictures of the principal conditions, particularly those in which visual information is an important part of diagnosis. All of the conditions likely to be encountered in the UK are included and information on rarer conditions, such as those that may occur in imported horses, is also provided.

The book will be valuable to equine practitioners and those in mixed practice who see horses from time to time. Veterinary surgeons with an interest in the wider field of veterinary dermatology as well as undergraduates and postgraduate students will find the text useful as a key reference to skin problems of the horse. This book is intentionally brief. A list of references is provided for further information on specific topics and also to direct the reader towards general texts with a wider range of information. The authors hope that this text will not only provide practical help on the everyday problems of skin disease in equine practice but that it will also stimulate a deeper interest in equine dermatology.