The Review You've All Been Waiting For...

Finally finished the review on the aforementioned Colour Handbook of Urinary Stones in Small Animal Medicine. I know you are all so excited. So here it is:

THE COLOUR HANDBOOK OF URINARY STONES IN SMALL ANIMAL MEDICINE
Albrecht Hesse & Reto Neiger
3 stars out of 5
Reviewed by: Brandy Sprunger, CVT, RVT

The purpose of this text was to take years of urolith research in both human and veterinary medicine, compare the two, and apply what was learned to develop this handbook to help detect and prevent uroliths in veterinary patients. Upon noticing that Royal Canin was listed as part publisher, I did start out skeptically thinking that this would be a pro-Royal Canin diet book, but quickly learned I was mistaken- not once were their diets even mentioned. I found this book to be rather statistical, making it difficult to get to the heart of the issues in each chapter. Where possible, photographs and charts are in color, making comparison and recognition of uroliths much easier- this is where this text really shined.

The text is divided into four chapters, with the first giving a general overview of urinary stones in both humans and animals. It is heavy on the numbers, and relies mostly on studies done in Europe. This could make use of this book difficult due to some of the differences in European vs. American dietary habits (in both humans and pets). There are many theories discussed on causes of uroliths in both humans and animals, including environmental, dietary, and genetic reasons. It also explains the theory of relative supersaturation, or RSS, and how that is applied to diet formulations. This chapter also explains the different analytical methods used to determine stone composition, including spectrometry and electron microscopy. The first chapter ends with symptoms, diagnostic testing and surgical treatments for urolithiasis.

The next chapter demonstrates the title exactly and is full of information, pictures and charts of each of the most common uroliths seen in animals. Each type is broken down into an introduction of the urolith- its presentation and composition- and then its epidemiology. Formation condition of each type of urolith is then explained, along with their diagnosis, treatment and prevention. This chapter brings to light several types of uroliths that are more unusual than the typical Calcium Oxalates and Struvites we see in practice. While this chapter still had a lot of charts and statistics to sort through, it was still a good resource for information on specific types of uroliths.

Chapter Three is where I found the most exciting information. It is dedicated entirely to discussing feline urolithiais with a large emphasis on Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, or FLUTD. This chapter does a fantastic job of explaining the potential causes and pathology of FLUTD. This was one of the most practical, and interesting parts of the entire text, and aside from all the great photographs, also one of the most useful for a veterinary practice. It discusses feline urinary behaviors, both appropriate and inappropriate, the numerous symptoms of FLUTD, and the treatments (both behavioral and medical) for the disease.

The fourth and final chapter was a small discussion on uroliths commonly found in rabbits and guinea pigs. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention were the primary concerns, and would be useful to a practice that frequently sees small exotic mammals.
The last 30 pages are all the references the authors used in their studies, as well as a nice section of Appendices. Included in them are a small listing of uroliths found in unusual breeds (reptiles, camelids, marine animals) and several sections on the different mineral content of a multitude of foods. While these charts are quite interesting, they may not be of practical use for the veterinarian or technician, as most of the foods listed are not veterinary preparations but “human” foods (i.e, berries, vegetables, dairy products.) Perhaps a human with a predilection for uroliths would get more from the Appendices.

With all the statistics and epidemiology information aside, the text does a good job of being an in depth reference of uroliths. For use as a study guide for urologic conditions, it isn’t the best choice, but I do think this book could serve a purpose in a surgical practice that is heavy on urology, or in a general practice that deals with the symptoms and dietary concerns of its patients with chronic urolithiasis.

Publisher: Royal Canin and Manson Publishing Ltd. (2009)
Hardcover, 176 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1-84076-128-3
VIN Store: Unavailable


I know, I know! You are all so excited to go out and get this book now! :)