Lab Animal Vets c/o 2016

[FutResearchVet]

Hey everyone,
I am wondering who is interested in lab animal medicine and is applying for c/o 2016. I know there aren't that many of us, but us "lab rats" have to stick together... hahaha (that was a pretty bad one).

Anyway, I figured there should be a forum on people interested in lab animal medicine. If you'd like, post how you became interested in the field and any neat lab animal experiences. I'll get it started:

By the beginning of college I knew I wanted to be a vet, but not sure what kind. I started working at a pharmaceutical company as a lab animal tech and loved it. I also became interested in research and started working in a lab that studies reproductive endocrinology in undergrad. By then end of college I was debating between grad school and vet school, and an amazing grad school opportunity working with lab animals came up - working with rhesus macaques... so I took it. Halfway though a PhD I realized that lab animal medicine was the perfect career for me. Now I am finishing up the PhD and can't wait to start vet school.

Good luck to everyone this cycle!

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[megvswild]

Hi! I am also interested in lab animal medicine and applied for the first time for c/o 2016. I've been involved in research since undergrad. I did a REU two summers studying endocrine disruption and animal communication in anurans. I originally wanted to do a PhD as well and focus on behavioral ecology but took time off to work. I've been working as a medical school research technician for the past 3 years and our lab focuses on hypertension and diabetes using mouse models. Getting so involved in the medical side of things got me more interested in vet school. We have an amazing vet that directs the vivarium and the Dept of comparative medicine here, I've been able to see some really cool procedures shadowing her. The medical students and other doctors have pig labs where they practice surgeries, the last couple were practicing laproscopic nephrectomies. I've seen some really neat necropsies too mostly small animals mice, rats, and cats. I like that you can combine research and clinic work in this type of job. I've been volunteering at the zoo here for 5 years and I have seen all kinds of exotics cases, and I've recently started shadowing a small animal vet. What schools did you apply to?

 

[Howister]

Iab animal=millions of protocols

 

[that redhead]

I'm class of 2015, but I figured I'd reply anyway since so few people are into LAM. I really enjoyed all of my veterinary and animal experiences, but lab animal was the one that really felt like I could make a career out of. There are so many factors that draw me to it, but diversity of species and variety of work is a big one. I really look forward to seeing different things and learning new things every day, as cheesy as it sounds. Plus, I won't even lie, salary, hours/flexibility and job opportunities/low competition are a definite bonus.

I spent three years as a lab tech at a large university and worked with a huge variety of species: reptiles, rodents, birds of all kinds, companion animals and many exotics. I loved it.

 

[megvswild]

Howister: Constant amendments and protocol approval definitely seems to take forever, but we always have 3 too many projects going on in my lab so we don't mind too much. I imagine keeping track of ALL the protocols in a facility would be very unless you have great staff and organization.

that redhead: I like what you said about the diversity, it's basically a mixed animal practice with a variety of new projects all the time, I feel I would never get bored in that kind of environment. What program are you in now and how do you like it?

 

[Howister]

Howister: Constant amendments and protocol approval definitely seems to take forever, but we always have 3 too many projects going on in my lab so we don't mind too much. I imagine keeping track of ALL the protocols in a facility would be very unless you have great staff and organization.

I wonder if all of the big universities have a lot of LA vets? My school has 3 (one of which is a resident) that do protocols for the whole campus and it's a VERY research heavy university. One of the vets mainly works on protocols and doesn't do much clinical work. The other does a lot of protocols and also clinical work.....

....I want to keep writing, but should focus on studying for my *last* final!

 

[that redhead]

that redhead: I like what you said about the diversity, it's basically a mixed animal practice with a variety of new projects all the time, I feel I would never get bored in that kind of environment. What program are you in now and how do you like it?

The diversity really sealed the deal for me. While I like all the other fields of vet med, I think I'd get tired of the same thing (vaccines, pulling calves, colic, lameness, preg checks!) pretty quickly. I'm at AVC right now and am really enjoying the lab animal club. I'm hoping next semester or second year I can start to get more involved, maybe a campus job or something.

 

[FutResearchVet]

What schools did you apply to?

I applied to WI (my IS), Auburn, Tennessee, and Purdue (but got my official rejection today because I am missing a requirement that I can't take next semester... I realized this about 2 days after I submitted my application).

I think any school will provide an excellent education, but I really love that WI is a big research institute and has a variety of lab animals on-campus, which me potential for great lab animal medicine experience.

 

[FutResearchVet]

I wonder if all of the big universities have a lot of LA vets?

Really 3 LA vets? That's it? That seems small for a big research university. I don't know exactly how many WI has, but I would guess at least 20, which covers primates, large and small animals, and exotics/aquatic.


PS - I'm still trying to figure out how to multiquote... any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Howister]

Really 3 LA vets? That's it? That seems small for a big research university. I don't know exactly how many WI has, but I would guess at least 20, which covers primates, large and small animals, and exotics/aquatic.

Yea only three, and two before we got the resident. They are all amazing, but it is a small number for how many animals we have....NHPs, exotics/aquatics, small animal.....so I'm probably a little biased when I talk about massive amounts of protocols. Although, we don't have "large animals"....

 

[orca2011]

I actually kind of wish I had more lab animal experience. I worked as a lab assistant throughout college and absolutely loved it. We had a few animals, mainly turtles, fish, mice and insects that I helped care for, but since I went to a small liberal arts school, we didn't have the research facilities like larger universities. Tufts actually asked me last year if I had ever considered lab animal medicine, and at the time, I hadn't really given it any thought...mainly because I didn't really realize it was a specific area of interest, which was probably rather stupid on my part. Unfortunately, my school's pre-vet club only started really getting it together two months before I graduated when we combined with the pre-vet club at Johns Hopkins. They're lab vets offered to let us come "shadow" (they might have used a different term since I think they said they technically aren't allowed to have unauthorized people around) but with it being so close to graduation, I wasn't able to fit it in. I'm hoping to get involved with some clubs once in vet school to get a better idea of what the field is like. And who knows, maybe I'll end up changing my focus. My mom always said she could easily see me working in a lab or for a research company.

 

[T_Rose]

I'm interested in lab animal medicine. I found out about the dual-degree programs from veterinary school websites when I was browsing their websites, and that's when I started thinking about it. It's been over a year since I decided it was for me, but I'm still lacking on research experience. Luckily, I was able to participate in a research project this semester with animals, and I really enjoyed it. I'm drawn to research because I see it as a way for me to make a bigger impression and to help improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Plus, I have a very inquisitive mind, and I like to question things.

 

[abbercadaver]

PS - I'm still trying to figure out how to multiquote... any help would be greatly appreciated.

Click the "MULTIQ" button on each post you want to quote, and for the last one, just hit the regular "QUOTE" button.

All posts should be there after that. And then, of course, edit as you see fit.

 

[primatevetjess]

So I totally don't belong in this thread, being in the class of 2013, but since it's such a small interest I figured I'd chime in anyway.

The summer before I applied to veterinary school, I started volunteering at Cedars Sinai, in Los Angeles. I'm not going to lie - I basically did it to add lab animal experience to my application. I had decided that I would either do emergency medicine or zoo medicine. But during my time there, I worked very closely with the technicians and gained a lot of hands on experience and exposure to the field. And I fell in love with it. I love that no two days are the same, I love that I'm exposed to cutting edge medicine and research, I love that there are so many different species I'll get to work with it, and I love that I can be the compassionate advocate for the animals in research. So I changed my focus, and here I am, 1.5 years from graduating with my DVM.

I'm president of the Lab Animal Medicine Club here at UC Davis, I did a lab animal internship at UCLA last summer, and I have two amazing externships lined up for fourth year (4 weeks at Johns Hopkins and 8 weeks at Salk Institute), so if anyone has any questions, please ask! I enjoy connecting with other LAM people, since there are so few of us.

Good luck to everyone waiting to hear back from schools!

 

[Howister]

So I totally don't belong in this thread, being in the class of 2013, but since it's such a small interest I figured I'd chime in anyway.

The summer before I applied to veterinary school, I started volunteering at Cedars Sinai, in Los Angeles. I'm not going to lie - I basically did it to add lab animal experience to my application. I had decided that I would either do emergency medicine or zoo medicine. But during my time there, I worked very closely with the technicians and gained a lot of hands on experience and exposure to the field. And I fell in love with it. I love that no two days are the same, I love that I'm exposed to cutting edge medicine and research, I love that there are so many different species I'll get to work with it, and I love that I can be the compassionate advocate for the animals in research. So I changed my focus, and here I am, 1.5 years from graduating with my DVM.

I'm president of the Lab Animal Medicine Club here at UC Davis, I did a lab animal internship at UCLA last summer, and I have two amazing externships lined up for fourth year (4 weeks at Johns Hopkins and 8 weeks at Salk Institute), so if anyone has any questions, please ask! I enjoy connecting with other LAM people, since there are so few of us.

Good luck to everyone waiting to hear back from schools!

I am leaning towards Lab Animal career, I have an internship right now (in Lab Animal Med) and I really like it. What is it like doing Lab Animal at Davis, how many lab animal students are there? Do you guys get to do rotations around the facilities there? I know you guys have plenty of animals (NHPs ), it must be amazing! And...how competitive is it to get lab animal internships/externships during vet school?

 

[chris03333]

job opportunities/low competition

I am lab animal vet. You need to research what you call job oppertunities/low competition. LAM is way overflooded with vets now and competition is very high for very few positions.

 

[primatevetjess]

I am leaning towards Lab Animal career, I have an internship right now (in Lab Animal Med) and I really like it. What is it like doing Lab Animal at Davis, how many lab animal students are there? Do you guys get to do rotations around the facilities there? I know you guys have plenty of animals (NHPs ), it must be amazing! And...how competitive is it to get lab animal internships/externships during vet school?

To be honest, there aren't a ton of opportunities during veterinary school just because the course load is huge and everyone has to focus on that. That being said, as president of the LAMC, I do my best to provide opportunities for interested students. Last month we had a small mammal handling and restraint lab with the head lab animal vet (with rats, mice, and hamsters), we have multiple guest speakers, we usually have 2-3 primate wet labs every year (full physical exams, venipuncture, catheter placement, and ultrasound of sedated macaques) including a full tour of the primate center, and we're planning a couple of things for the next couple of quarters. So we're a pretty active club and do our best to provide fun opportunities for club members.

I think there are only about 3-4 lab animal students in my class. And yes, the primate center is really incredible!! It's amazing to go to a vet school with a primate center because I get to do a rotation there during fourth year and I hear it's very hands-on and everyone loves it. I'll also be doing a rotation through CLAS (Center for Laboratory Animal Science) and a 4 week rotation through our Companion Avian and Exotic Pet service, which is pet animals but is very valuable because they see a lot of rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, etc. Also, we do have some lab animal classes - Behavior and Biology of Mice, Medical Primatology, Zoonoses of Non-Human Primates, Pathology of Laboratory Animals. So yeah, I feel that Davis is a great place for lab animal medicine and I'm thrilled to be here!

As for competitiveness of internships/externships, I didn't find it a problem at all. I toured the facilities at UCLA and then contacted the head vet directly to arrange my internship, and he immediately welcomed me on board. I also directly contacted the people at Salk Institute for my externship based on a friend who did an externship there. We e-mailed back and forth and then I had a phone interview, and was accepted at the end of the call. Johns Hopkins had an application process, and I got an e-mail acceptance into the program about 20 minutes after everything was submitted.

Good luck with everything! I think lab animal medicine is an incredible career.

 

[Lab Vet]

2017 hopeful, here, but figured I'd post anyway...

Lab animal all the way...I love many aspects of the career, but am particularly taken with the regulatory side of the job as well as facility management (I could see myself being happy in either somewhere down the line). In my mind, LAM is the ultimate mixed animal practice. In my years working in research, I've worked with species as diverse as reptiles, fish, horses, small ruminants, as well as traditional lab animals. All of the lab animal vets with whom I've had the great pleasure of working have been remarkable, compassionate human beings.

Look forward to seeing y'all at AALAS/ACLAM meetings somewhere down the line!

 

[Virginger]

What are some of the opportunities out there for getting LAM experience before admittance to vet school. I have research experience, but it didnt lend me to getting an in-depth understanding of the whole role of the veterinarian.

I am very interested in LAM because I feel like it really takes all the parts of veterinary medicine that I enjoyed in other fields. The diversity of species is GREAT, being advocate for animal subjects while pushing medicine forward, and getting to be involved in advanced/cutting-edge medicine/research is really exciting. I just haven't found something that is available to me at this time.

 

[mbv]

Chris - any advice on the best way to get an accurate representation of career prospects as a lab animal vet? I can't really find a LAM presence on VIN, and published reports (admittedly not recent) seem to indicate that there is room for new lab animal vets. Should vet students who are interested in the field mostly rely on anecdotal information from current LAM vets? There are definitely lab animal vets who are still giving the ACLAM talk about how it's such a great field.....

 

[lostbunny]

Click the "MULTIQ" button on each post you want to quote, and for the last one, just hit the regular "QUOTE" button.

All posts should be there after that. And then, of course, edit as you see fit.

lol!!! wow- I was wondering the same thing about multi quoting as well... and I always just ignored the middle button. sooo ******ed... thanks. lol.

 

[FutResearchVet]

I wonder if all of the big universities have a lot of LA vets? My school has 3 (one of which is a resident) that do protocols for the whole campus and it's a VERY research heavy university. One of the vets mainly works on protocols and doesn't do much clinical work. The other does a lot of protocols and also clinical work.....

....I want to keep writing, but should focus on studying for my *last* final!

What are some of the opportunities out there for getting LAM experience before admittance to vet school. I have research experience, but it didnt lend me to getting an in-depth understanding of the whole role of the veterinarian.

I am very interested in LAM because I feel like it really takes all the parts of veterinary medicine that I enjoyed in other fields. The diversity of species is GREAT, being advocate for animal subjects while pushing medicine forward, and getting to be involved in advanced/cutting-edge medicine/research is really exciting. I just haven't found something that is available to me at this time.

If you can find a research lab that focuses on the use of animals that would be the best way to understand the role of a lab animal veterinarian. Of note, the species you are working with may also factor into how much lab animal vet experience you get. Typically, surgeries in rodents can be done by the researchers so there is less chance of LAM vet interaction, but if you find a lab that works with primates or even cows, then there is a better chances of getting that experience.

I am currently working on a PhD working with primates and because of the nature of my graduate work, I interact with the vets on a daily basis... from clinical (i.e. sick animal), to surgery/procedures (i.e. implantation of research devices) to administrative (i.e. refinement of animal protocols). This has really helped me to understand the various roles of a LAM vet.

 

[chris03333]

Chris - any advice on the best way to get an accurate representation of career prospects as a lab animal vet? I can't really find a LAM presence on VIN, and published reports (admittedly not recent) seem to indicate that there is room for new lab animal vets. Should vet students who are interested in the field mostly rely on anecdotal information from current LAM vets? There are definitely lab animal vets who are still giving the ACLAM talk about how it's such a great field.....

You need to get in contact with the senior residents currently looking for a position. They can give you a clear view of what the job availability is now. It is a great field. Just saturated (this is true of almost all vet fields now).

 

[amazonianfille]

I'm interested in Lab Animal Medicine (NHP's) and I'm also in Wisco right now! I applied to CSU (I'm on the alternate list) and UW (haven't heard back yet but it is my 1st choice). I wanted to apply to UC-Davis because they have a primate center and I know a few great people that work there but, even on the veeeery slim chance that I could get in there, the tuition is way out of my means.

I didn't even realize until two years ago that I wanted to be a vet. I thought I wanted to be an MD but I wasn't 100% sold on it. I decided to take some time before applying to medical school, working instead, so that I could make sure it was definitely what I wanted before I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I serendipitously ended up working at the Primate Center. I fell in love with lab animal medicine in a way that I had never loved human medicine. I've always loved animals but I hadn't really delved into all of the aspects of veterinary medicine because I was trying to convince myself that I wanted to do human medicine. When I realized that I wanted to be a vet, it was like a bell rang in my head, like this is it! This is what I'm supposed to do. Never looked back.
I think I like it for a lot of the reasons already listed. While I really enjoy the time that I spend shadowing a small animal clinics, I could see that getting redundant for me really fast. Every day at the WNPRC, there is something interesting to see. I work for AMAZING veterinary pathologists. I find myself looking at them from time to time thinking "WHERE DO YOU STORE ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE?! HOW?!". They are very patient mentors and I never stop learning. I also think it is a great community. I've made a lot of great friends.
@FuturResearchVet: I think we may work at the same place... If you ever want to come check out a necropsy, let me know! I always like the extra help cleaning up

 

[that redhead]

You need to get in contact with the senior residents currently looking for a position. They can give you a clear view of what the job availability is now. It is a great field. Just saturated (this is true of almost all vet fields now).

Sorry if I come across as misinformed, since I'm still but a lowly first year and not yet actively searching for jobs Two of the lab animal vets I'm acquainted with have given me the impression that it isn't as saturated as other fields of vet med. While there's been a definite increase in awareness of the field more recently I wasn't aware it is as bad as small animal, for example. Not that it changes my mind, but good to know!

 

[amazonianfille]

@that redhead: I think this is one of those areas where networking is key. Maybe start making good connections in the lab animal field early and by the time you graduate, those relationships will be your lifeline.

 

[Thylacine]

Does anyone have any advice on finding places to get lab animal experience? I'm interested in specializing in lab animals but I obviously can't make that determination until I've experienced a little of it first-hand. Any advice is appreciated!!

 

[megvswild]

Does anyone have any advice on finding places to get lab animal experience? I'm interested in specializing in lab animals but I obviously can't make that determination until I've experienced a little of it first-hand. Any advice is appreciated!!

Try to get in touch with the veterinarian(s) working in the vivarium at your university. I think they are probably more open to having a pre-vet person shadowing them. You might have privacy/ security issues trying to shadow in a pharmacuetical company or primate center. Luckily I work as a research technician at a medical school so I get to train and discuss with the vet and animal care staff regarding my mouse colony and research. It was easy to go from there into direct shadowing. The vet there is really open to helping pre-vet students, there are a couple masters students who shadow as well I think they just emailed her or had a professor get in touch for them. Try getting involved working in a lab while in school, the professor your working with should be able to introduce you to the vet. You can likely find the contact info for the DVM heading up your animal facility on the school website, try sending a quick email to see it they are open to working with pre-vet students. Good luck!

 

[Thylacine]

Thanks for the advice, I'll try emailing some people tomorrow

 

[thundercatfish]

Does anyone know of blogs or more information on being a laboratory veterinarian? My university didnt have a vivarium, so I dont really know anyone to ask about the "day in the life of", you know?
I may sound stupid, but does the vet get a new project every semester? Or do they go around to different labs to check in on the animals and help? I just dont know how it works!

Links, articles and emails would be greatly appreciated!

 

[FutResearchVet]

Does anyone know of blogs or more information on being a laboratory veterinarian? My university didnt have a vivarium, so I dont really know anyone to ask about the "day in the life of", you know?
I may sound stupid, but does the vet get a new project every semester? Or do they go around to different labs to check in on the animals and help? I just dont know how it works!

Links, articles and emails would be greatly appreciated!

Here are 2 websites for more information on lab animal medicine:

http://www.aclam.org/
http://www.aslap.org/

As far as I know, lab animal vets are usually just assigned to a floor/building of animals and take care of all of those animals, regardless of the research that is being conducted. I currently work at a primate center, and this is how it is done for the vets I work with. Some of the vets, in addition, to the clinical work, will also be in charge of overseeing animal protocol implementation... they help the researchers develop new surgeries/procedures as related to the research.
Hope this helps.

 

[thundercatfish]

Here are 2 websites for more information on lab animal medicine:

http://www.aclam.org/
http://www.aslap.org/

As far as I know, lab animal vets are usually just assigned to a floor/building of animals and take care of all of those animals, regardless of the research that is being conducted. I currently work at a primate center, and this is how it is done for the vets I work with. Some of the vets, in addition, to the clinical work, will also be in charge of overseeing animal protocol implementation... they help the researchers develop new surgeries/procedures as related to the research.
Hope this helps.

Oh man, thank you so much! You are incredibly helpful!

 

[megvswild]

Is it common for lab animal vets to do a dual DVM/PhD program? Those that I have spoken to completed 2-3 year residency programs after finishing their DVM. I also came across some masters in Lab Animal Science programs, such as at Drexel. I like that it can be completed online and was considering it an option if I (hate to even consider it) get denied this year. However, I don't really want to spending a ton of money and 3 years on this kind of program and then another 4 years at vet school. The amount of time and student debt at that point is unimaginable, so I kind of concluded it was worth waiting for vet school. I was wondering if those with more experience could offer some insight, what would the advantages/disadvantages of these additional educational options be, and what really matters in the job market?

 

[FutResearchVet]

Is it common for lab animal vets to do a dual DVM/PhD program? Those that I have spoken to completed 2-3 year residency programs after finishing their DVM. I also came across some masters in Lab Animal Science programs, such as at Drexel. I like that it can be completed online and was considering it an option if I (hate to even consider it) get denied this year. However, I don't really want to spending a ton of money and 3 years on this kind of program and then another 4 years at vet school. The amount of time and student debt at that point is unimaginable, so I kind of concluded it was worth waiting for vet school. I was wondering if those with more experience could offer some insight, what would the advantages/disadvantages of these additional educational options be, and what really matters in the job market?

I don't think it is particularly common for lab animal vets to do the combined DVM/PhD program, as I think that is more for vets interested in doing clinical animal research. However, I do think it helps to have research experience, but most of the lab animal vets I know did the research after the DVM degree. I'm kind of an exception and am finishing up a PhD before I go to vet school (to make a long story short, I thought I wanted to do research, but then realized that I wanted to be a lab animal. I decided to finish the PhD since I was more than half way through it and I figured it might help out in the future).

Most lab animal vets do 1-2 years of research and ~2 years residency in lab animal medicine before applying for jobs. You can also become a diplomate for lab animal medicine, but again you have to have I think 5 or 6 years of lab animal medicine under your belt first and pass the diplomate test (see aclam.org website in previous post).

 

[megvswild]

I don't think it is particularly common for lab animal vets to do the combined DVM/PhD program, as I think that is more for vets interested in doing clinical animal research. However, I do think it helps to have research experience, but most of the lab animal vets I know did the research after the DVM degree. I'm kind of an exception and am finishing up a PhD before I go to vet school (to make a long story short, I thought I wanted to do research, but then realized that I wanted to be a lab animal. I decided to finish the PhD since I was more than half way through it and I figured it might help out in the future).

Most lab animal vets do 1-2 years of research and ~2 years residency in lab animal medicine before applying for jobs. You can also become a diplomate for lab animal medicine, but again you have to have I think 5 or 6 years of lab animal medicine under your belt first and pass the diplomate test (see aclam.org website in previous post).

I have 3+ years or research experience from working as a lab technician, although I have publications now sometimes I worry I would have been better off spending the time on a PhD. I was curious, do most students interested in lab animal medicine work in a lab and do research during the semester? I realize the course load is serious, is there time for something like that, or do you just seek internships/externships that focus on lab animal medicine during the summer and later on in vet school?

 

[FutResearchVet]

I have 3+ years or research experience from working as a lab technician, although I have publications now sometimes I worry I would have been better off spending the time on a PhD. I was curious, do most students interested in lab animal medicine work in a lab and do research during the semester? I realize the course load is serious, is there time for something like that, or do you just seek internships/externships that focus on lab animal medicine during the summer and later on in vet school?

I talked to one of the lab animal vets I work with a while back and I remember her telling me that she needed to be the 1st author on a paper of the research to count.. although I am not 100% sure on all the requirements, so I would definitely visit the aclam.org website.

As far was working during the semester, I think some people do and some people don't. If I get into WI vet school, I am planning to working as a student vet at the primate center where I currently work (for my PhD), but only a few hours a week during my first year to see how I can handle the coursework and working. And then I would work full time during the summer.

 

[primatevetjess]

I don't work during the quarter, but I did research during my first summer and a lab animal internship during my second summer.

As for becoming ACLAM boarded... there are two ways to go about it. Either complete a residency (2-3 years, depending on the program) OR work for 6 years in the field. For either direction, you have to be first author on a paper to be eligible to sit for the board exam. Residency programs prepare you to pass the exam and give you the opportunity to be first author on a paper. Going the 6 year route is more difficult because you have to prepare for the exam on your own time without any help and you also have to find a way to conduct research and be first author.

My plans after vet school are to do a lab animal residency, sit for (and PASS!) the ACLAM board exam, and then work as a clinical vet.

 

[DouglasVet]

Quick question for my LAS veterinarians.

I need suggestions for Lab animal physiology and anatomy (can be separate) textbooks for reference. I am a 1VM working in a research lab this summer and want to dive into the lab animal sciences head first.

I have been recommended this title for anatomy by a former lab animal PI, but he did not have input on a physiology text:
Comparative Anatomy and Histology: A Mouse and Human Atlas (Expert Consult)

Any recommendations would be great
Regards,
DouglasVet

 

[Lab Vet]

Quick question for my LAS veterinarians.

I need suggestions for Lab animal physiology and anatomy (can be separate) textbooks for reference. I am a 1VM working in a research lab this summer and want to dive into the lab animal sciences head first.

I have been recommended this title for anatomy by a former lab animal PI, but he did not have input on a physiology text:
Comparative Anatomy and Histology: A Mouse and Human Atlas (Expert Consult)

Any recommendations would be great
Regards,
DouglasVet

Welcome to Lab Animal! The answer to your question depends on what you want to know. For rodent clinical medicine, I recommend:

1. Harkness and Wagner's Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents
2. Quesenbery and Carpenter: Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents; Clinical Medicine and Surgery

Then there's the LAM bible:

1. Laboratory Animal Medicine, Third Edition (ACLAM Blue Book)

For anatomy, I recommend:

1. Popesko and Ratjova: A Colour Atlas of Small Laboratory Animals, Vol. 1 & 2
2. Comparative Anatomy of the Mouse and Rat, A Color Atlas and Text (AALAS)

That should get you started. There are many other good books re: Techniques, Path...just depends on what you're looking for. Good luck!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

For pathology related to lab animals, I also recommend:

Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits by Barthold, Griffey, and Percy.

 

[Lab Vet]

For pathology related to lab animals, I also recommend:

Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits by Barthold, Griffey, and Percy.

Agreed. It's the gold standard.