Review by Kathy Lyon 
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You may purchase this book on Amazon.com. |
The book opens with some admirable kennel plans, but the kennel plans are probably not what the average veterinarian will see in everyday practice. While the kennel designs are large and airy, outside of a laboratory environment, a research facility, or a major dog food company raising dogs for food testing, there are few (if any) dog (or cat) breeders who still operate on such a scale. Commercial breeders of small mammals for the pet trade may be more likely to utilize a large facility.
The chapters, in order of length, start with dogs, then cats, then assorted small mammals. There are excellent recommendations for diets for bitches and queens, both before and after parturition and for weaning. All of these might be well utilized with good results by individual breeders. There is useful information on vitamin supplements and vitamin/mineral requirements. Mastitis is mentioned and an example is illustrated. In all cases, cleanliness and attention to good veterinary care are stressed.
Chapters on breeding cats and raising kittens are informative and up-to-date. There are good ultrasound views showing various stages of development of young. The accompanying descriptions are an excellent instructional in reading US films.
There is a good chapter on resuscitation of neonates with or without medical intervention. The importance of hydration and temperature, an important component of hand-rearing, is stressed and explained.
There is an interesting chapter on socialization of pups, day to day development and physical expectations. These are questions the veterinarian is commonly asked and the book provides a good reference for educating clients.
The basic diseases are covered in short, but educational, sections. There is some duplication between puppies and kittens, (i.e.coccidia) as the signs/treatments are essentially the same, but there is also good coverage for problems exclusive to either species. Included is a table of medications suspected to cause congenital defects in fetuses, or considered safe if administered during pregnancy. Another table lists genetic tests available for dogs, followed by web addresses for facilities doing a variety of testing. Next is a table of genetic diseases of the dog showing the disease (or defect) followed by implicated breeds. Similar tables are included for cats.
Subsequent chapters include rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and chinchillas.
The average clinician may not see many small mammals, but during these times of reduced income, clients, often amateurs, often decide to enhance their income by raising small mammals for sale as pets. It would be smart to invest in this book to be able to help those clients when they run into the inevitable management disasters.
Wiley Blackwell, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8138-0793-5