Urologic applications at a community zoo

The genitourinary system is a common source of disease in many animal species as well as humans, and the practice of comparative endourology is possible because of advances in the past decade in minimally invasive human surgery. Zoo veterinarians may have limited formal urologic training, and increasingly limited public funding resources now leave most community zoos without specialized endourologic equipment or expertise. Urologists may offer or be called on to assist in the diagnosis and management of often rare and valuable species, providing services and expertise previously limited to humans. Such cases may provide intellectual and technical challenges beyond those seen in clinical practice, while applying the same basic universal urologic principles. We describe a cooperative approach to the management of animal urologic disorders based on a 5-year experience as consultants to the San Francisco Zoo and encourage an interdisciplinary approach between urologists and their local zoos where this may be useful in the preservation and maintenance of these valuable and important public resources.