Record-breaking five new manuals for Congress BSAVA Publications Committee has been working very hard over the past 1 2 months to ensure that it has all five of the new manuals ready for members and visitors at Congress. Everything has run smoothly, and a big thank you must go to the scientific editors, contributors and printers for meeting the deadline.

The ‘Manual of Psittacine Birds’ replaces a previous manual on the subject, but is a totally new book, with Neil Forbes and Martin Law- ton as scientific editors and incor- porating the skills and knowledge of 1 7 authors. Both style and con- tent have changed. It is printed in full colour with an up-to-date formulary, and covers everything from nutrition through to be- haviour, surgery and breeding.

Vets are often asked to treat rap- tors, pigeons and waterfowl, but to date there has been little to help them. In the ‘Manual of Rap- tors, Pigeons and Waterfowl’, authors from around the world have been selected to gather some of the best specialist knowledge into one source. The manual, which is in full colour through- out, is designed to provide easy access to material covering diag- nosis, treatment, examination and follow-up procedures.

The scientific editors of the ‘Manual of Canine and Feline Gastroenterology’, Jimmy Simp- son and Ed Hall, have adopted a problem-orientated approach to the latest medical and surgical treatment in this field. The collec- tion of authors is truly interna- tional and results in a specialist approach to each aspect of the subject. The manual is illustrated in full colour, and includes radio- graphs and ultrasound records. It covers areas as diverse as endoscopy, taking biopsies and swallowing disorders.

The ‘Manual of Companion Animal Nutrition and Feeding’ is

a much-needed book that makes sense of what is becoming an increasingly import- ant subject. Edited by Jo Wills and Noel Kelly, the manual aims to bridge the knowledge gap be- tween nutrition as an academic subject and ‘hands on’ feeding. It deals not only with feeding the normal dog and cat through all their life stages but also, in greater detail, feeding in disease states. It covers all small pets and exotics, and finishes with useful summary tables.

The ‘Manual of Canine and Feline Urology and Nephrol- ogy’ contains information on dis- eases of kidneys, bladder, urinary tract and prostate. Contributors from the UK and the USA are acknowledged experts in the field, and they discuss the approach to these cases, focusing on diagnosis and therapy.

We hope this conveys a taste of all this new information for vet-

erinary surgeons, and that those of you coming to Congress will find the time to make your way to the BSAVA Publications Stand, number 83, and take a look at these new manuals - and all the other titles available.

JANET PARKER Publications Committee

I Continuing education courses update PLACES are still available for the BSAVAIC-Vet course V705596 ‘Urinary Tract Medicine and Surgery’, March 15 to 17, at the Forte Posthouse in Lancaster. The speakers include Dr Peter Holt and Professor Andrew Nash, well known specialists in the field of small animal urology. The course will cover investigation and management of disorders of the upper and lower urinary tract. Through case examples, special emphasis will be placed on the interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory tests. From dysuria to incontinence, this course should be of value to most practitioners.

For further details of this and other courses, contact: BSAVA Administration Office, Kingsley House, Church Lane, Shurding- ton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 5TQ, telephone 01242 862994, fax 01242 863009.

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