Cetacean Medicine

It is the author’s intention in this chapter to provide enough nuggets of information and philosophy that veterinarians will feel more comfortable with the challenges and pitfalls presented by the practice of cetacean medicine. It is assumed that the reader is a competent veterinary practitioner, since the practice of cetacean medicine largely depends on the same knowledge required for other species. There are differences in working with cetaceans that may seem intimidating. As with other exotic or unusual animals, once the differences are accommodated, the veterinarian can feel confident in applying his or her full range of knowledge and experience to the problems of working with a new species.