Veterinary ideas and practices in the historical Islamic world are primarily preserved in handbooks which deal with the diagnosis and treatment of horses or of animals trained as hunting assistants such as birds of prey and dogs. Such specialized texts were typically produced in milieux with significant economic resources, while other sources contain information about the treatment of animals in a wider range of social strata. The underlying medical theory in veterinary sciences corresponds to that in human medicine. Early handbooks were copied over centuries and at times attracted the criticism of later authors. Historical sources suggest that while people sometimes assumed a strong correspondence between humans and animals in medical contexts, at other times, they were fundamentally different, especially when animals were the cause of human illness. Throughout Islamic history, there is evidence of an ethical obligation to ensure the well-being of animals and instances where humans are emotionally invested in the recovery of animals.