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MEDLINE Indexing Online Training Course

Category C - Diseases

Veterinary Diseases

Distinguish true veterinary diseases from diseases in experimental animals. Category C13 contains MeSH terms for veterinary diseases. This includes precoordinated ANIMAL/DISEASE terms such as CATTLE DISEASES, HORSE DISEASES, and FISH DISEASES. It also includes specific disease terms that are restricted to animals, such as TOXOPLASMOSIS, ANIMAL, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, ANIMAL, and FOOT ROT. Subheading /vet is not permitted with C13 terms.

The MeSH heading ANIMAL DISEASES is very general. The indexer does not have to routinely add ANIMAL DISEASES.

If a disease not in the C13 tree occurs in veterinary animals, coordinate the disease term with the subheading /*vet (IM) and add the ANIMAL/DISEASE term.

Pulmonary edema in dogs
PULMONARY EDEMA /* vet
* DOG DISEASES
ANIMAL (check tag)
DOGS (check tag)

If there is no precoordinated ANIMAL/DISEASE term, index under the specific animal (IM)

Pulmonary edema in ferrets
PULMONARY EDEMA /* vet
*FERRETS
ANIMAL (check tag)

When the subheading /veterinary is used, it is always (IM) with other necessary subheadings (NIM).

Last Reviewed: November 19, 2013