Veterinary Publications Pricing and Costs

Price out veterinary magazines and books
By Kristina Seleshanko As is true with any field in medicine, veterinarians must constantly keep up to date with new medical practices and products--which is why you'll need to consider veterinary publications pricing and costs. The toll for keeping up with scientific advances and business skills and maintaining a good and practical library of reference books can be high. Therefore, before you begin purchasing, carefully consider your true needs. Do you mostly need information about the latest scientific advancements, or are you looking for information on running your veterinary business, information about new products or news on niche areas?

Once you have an idea of the sort of publications most important to you and your business, break them down into three broad categories; from there, you can price out the veterinary publications to better determine what you really want to invest in. These three broad categories are:

1. Veterinary journal publications, with the latest scientific research and information,
2. Vet magazines, with less scholarly--but still useful--information about medicine, business and products,
3. And veterinary book publications to keep on your reference shelf.

Purchase from publishers of veterinary journals

For the latest in medical research, it's tough to beat a good scientific journal for veterinarians. Although some journals are free if you download them in digital format, most cost a great deal compared to magazines. Typically, however, medical journals are free to members of the organizations that publish them. On average, national veterinary organizations cost between $200 and $300 a year to join, and the cost of journals to non-members is around $60 to $90 each.
Try:  The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) publishes two peer-reviewed journals. Oregon State University offers Veterinary Medicine, a journal based on the research at their college of veterinary medicine.

Consider popular veterinarian magazines

Unlike medical journals, veterinary magazines break down medical information into quick, easier-to-read bites. They also cover tips on better business practices, new products and more. These types of vet publications range in price from free (usually only available online) to about $70 a year (in traditional magazine format).
Try:  Advanstar Communications publishes DVM and Veterinary Medicine, two of the most popular magazines for veterinarians. Exotic DVM is a popular veterinarian publication for vets specializing in exotic animals.

Select veterinary book publications for reference

Sometimes, you really need an easy-to-access book on veterinary information for guidance about medicines, niche information or just general reference. Veterinary textbooks, like most textbooks, can be costly. On average, they range from about $40 to $250, depending upon size and the number of color illustrations included. For example, the simple black-and-white book "Atlas of Equine Anatomy" is about $40, while "Color Atlas of Farm Animal Dermatology" is about $157.
Try:  The UC Davis Bookstore online carries a good selection of veterinary textbooks. ScienceDaily also has a good selection of veterinary medicine books.