Avian Exotics

Pet bird types by class

• Psittacines: Parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, cockatiels, macaws

  • Old world: Cockatoos, African greys, Eclectus, Lovebirds, Cockatiels, Budgerigars

  • New world: Macaws, Amazons, Quaker/Monk, Conures

  • Flock species, intelligent

  • Don’t mix old and new world

• Passerines: Canaries, finches, mynahs

  • flock species

• Galliformes: Chickens, pheasants, turkeys, grouse

  • flock species

• Rhamphastids: Toucans, toucanets, aracari

  • NOT flock species

Cockatoos

• ID: Lg old world psittacines

• Looks: Crest, prominent powder down feathers

• Dx: Feather picking/cloacal prolapse, obesity

• Behaviour: flock, intelligent, clingy, LOUD, kinda talk

• Life span: 50y

• From: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands

Cockatiels

• ID: Sm old world psittacines

• Looks: grey, white wings, yellow crest, orange cheek

• Behaviour: flock, cuddly, poor talkers

  • good first bird

Budgerigar

• ID: Sm old world psittacines

• Looks: No crest, colourful

• Dx: Obesity, lipoma, goiter, PBFD, polyomavirus, neoplasia, repro, megabacteria

• Behaviour: males talk, alone or groups

  • goof first bird

• Life span: 7-9y

• From: Australia

Eclectus

• ID: Med old world psittacines

• Looks: Sexually dimorphic

• Dx: PBFD, polyomavirus, feather destructive behavior, beak abnormalities

• Behaviour: shy males, bossy girls, loud, poor talkers, smart, independent

• Life span: 30y

African Grey Parrot

• ID: Med old world psittacines

• Dx: Hypocalcemia, Atherosclerosis, PBFD, Resp aspergillosis

• Behaviour: intelligent, good talkers, social, necrotic

• Life span: 40y

Lovebirds

• ID: Sm old world psittacines

• Dx: Repro problems, PBFD, Trauma, Megabacteria, Encephalitozoon hellum

• Behaviour: active, social, strong bonds

• Life span: 12y

Macaws

• ID: Lg new world psittacines

• Looks: bare facial area with or without short feathers, long tail

• Dx: papillomatosis, polyomavirus, pedal herpesvirus, Chlamydiosis, PDS/PDD, Pulmonary hypersensitivity

• Behaviour: Loud, needy, bite, destructive, physical, smart

• Life span: 50y

Amazon Parrots

• ID: Med new world psittacines

• Looks: green, blue, yellow

• Dx: chlamydiosis, mycobacteriosis, pox, papillomatosis, polyomavirus, obesity, fatty liver

• Behaviour: Loud, talkative, needy, clowns

• Life span: 40y

Conures

• ID: Sm new world psittacines

• Looks: Bare periorbital skin, long tail

• Dx: Pacheco’s, polyoma, PBFD, Liver disease

• Behaviour: Loud, poor talkers, chewers

• Life span: 15y

Monk or Quaker Parrots

• ID: Sm new world psittacines

• Dx: Pacheco’s, polyoma, PBFD, Liver disease

• Behaviour: Active, stressy, poor talkers, social

• Life span: 15y

Canaries

• ID: Passerine

• Dx: mites, Mycoplasma URI

• Behaviour: flock aviary

• Life: 5-15y

Finches

• ID: Passerine

• Dx: mites, Mycoplasma URI, GI parasites, Avian Gastric Yeast

• Behaviour: mixed flock aviary

• Life: 10y

Mynahs

• ID: Passerine

• Dx: mites, Mycoplasma URI

• Behaviour: flock aviary

• Life: 15y

Catching the Bird

• Be comfortable, make it voluntary, be interesting

• Step up (arm/dowel) on wrist or hand

  • not shoulder, bend down next to cadge if happens

• Hold foot w/ thumb and bend elbow

  • “Little earthquake” if they try and bit

  Stretch the bird and catch the face

Toweling a bird

• Use towel as a false wall or drop towel

• Grab head and wrap towel around body keeping the head exposed

• Make it positive and train at home

• Don’t squeeze

Restraining birds

• Lg birds

  • Neck + mandible w/ one hand, feet w/ the other

• Med birds

  • Two fingers mandible side, one on top of head

    • Fast ball

• Sm birds

  • Neck between distal fingers, feet on thumb

    • One handed cigarette hold

Physical exam

• Pre handling: resp, behaviour

• Systematic: head to tail

• Oral: pen light, choana (narrow w/ sharp papilla)

• Eye: No menace, skin turgor, diminished PLR

  • 3-5% dehydration = slow return

  • 5-8% dehydration = no return

• Neck: cervical bulge is normal

• Auscultation:

  • Heart: over keel, 200-500bpm

  • Lungs: dorsal body, should be quite, abdomen to hear air sac sounds

• Abdomen: mostly empty, ventriculus on left, left is full w/ repro activity

• Skin: bruising is green, barbering is typically localized, cloaca is clean/dry and evert

Avian housing

• Size

  • Extend wings

• Material

  • No wood, plastic, galvanized wire

  • Sm birds = ¼ ” bar spacing

  • Med birds = ½ “ bar spacing

  • Lg birds = 1” bar spacing

• Food and water access

  • multiple points if grouped

  • Water Available 24/7

  • keep high up and change daily

Avian enrichment

• Perching: variety sizes, heights, & textures

  • avoid abrasive surfaces

• Nests: Avoid unless breeding

• Substrate: paper

  • Avoid corn cob, wood chips

• Toys: variety, puzzles, chews, foraging

  • Lack may affect cerebral dev

• Buddies: same size, species, or continent (old/new world)

  • cadge mates or neighbors

Avian environmental parameters

• Varies w/ species

• Temp: warmer if sm

• Humidity: Supplement in winter, bathing/showers/mist

• Light cycles: 12hr cycles

Avian household hazards

• Physical: Windows, mirrors, open water

• Chemical: Lead, zinc, teflon, aerosols

  • Smoke: Dyspnea, immunosuppression

  • Nicotine: conjunctivitis, rhinitis, atherosclerosis

  • Air fresheners: irritation

  • Teflon: >530F

    • CS: dyspnea, weakness, acute death, pulmonary hemorrhage

    • Tx: ventalate, Bronchodilators

  • Lead:

    • MOA: Acid enviro rxn and binds to RBC’s

    • CS: anemia, green diarrhea, GI stasis, seziures, paralysis

    • ID: rads, whole bld

    • Tx: chelation (D-penicillamine, DMSA, CaEDTA)

• Diet: chocolate, avocado, alcohol

Identification of Birds

• Leg bands: closed band w/ state/year of birth, aviary, #

• Transponders: Insert in pectoral mm

• Sexing:

  • Dimorphic: Eclectus, Ring-neck parakeet, Budgies, Cockatiels

  • DNA sexing: Zoogen, Avigen

• Ageing: eyes, feathers, beak colour

  • Young: darker eyes

  • Older: white/yelloww/red/orange eyes

Avian Nutrition

• Texture > taste

• Energy req varies: season, photoperiod, stress

  • Repro: high Ca, fat, protein, Vit A/D

  • Growth: feed for a linear growth rate till weaning

• Made of: Seeds, nuts, fruits/veg, insects

• Types: home made, manufactured, supplements, seed based

• Water: 1-2 oz/lb/day

  • keep up high and fresh

  • Avaible 24/7

Supplements in birds

• if eating <50% a manufactured diet

• in active in water after 30min

• needs moist foods to stick

• Mineral block/cuttlebone for laying birds

Homemade diets in birds

• Use caratenoids, proteins (usu. legumes), fat (seeds), fruits (sugar), wheat (starch), vit/mineral supplements

• poorly analyzed and balanced

• Not recommended

Pelleted diets

• Sm birds: Pellets should be 50% of diet

• Lg birds: Pellets 60-75% of diet

• Pellet Size: Use the smallest possible

  • Lg particles cause impaction

• Formulations:

  • Specialized: liver/kidney dx, obesity management, hypoallergenic

  • Nutriberries: Nutritionally the same as pellets

    • Hulled seeds and supplements stuck together

Seed based bird diets

• Made of:

  • Oil seeds: high fat and protein

    • Rape seed, sunflower, safflower, peanut

  • Non-oil seeds: high carbs

    • Millet, canary seeds, oat groats

• Deficient in 20 nutrients

  • vitA,B12,C, AA, Ca, Mn, Na, Zn, I, Se

Changing the Diet in Birds

• May not recognize new item as food

  • monkey see-monkey do

• Go slow: add 25% of new food every week

• The Switch: place new food in old bowl and offer as a snack

Waste analysis in birds

• Feces: toothpaste consistency

• Urates: dollop of white-ish material

  • Uric acid component

• Urine: thin outline of dropping

  • Water component

Obesity

• MOA:

  • High fat diet, min exercise

  • Amazons, lovebirds, galahs, budgies

• Tx:

  • 25% decrease a week

  • Reduce weight by 1% per week

    • Hepatic lipidosis is common

Vit A deficiency

• Normal:

  • Stored in liver

  • For Vision/repro/skin/immunity

• MOA: Seed based diet

• CS:

  • Lesions: thickening of skin, poor feather condition/colour, Wide+blunt choana, oral plaques and abcess

  • Resp dx: Chronic sinusitis

  • Kidney failure: thick ureters, uric acid sludging

Calcium deffiecncy

• Normal:

  • Coagulation, bone dev, egg dev

  • Absorption in small intestines reg by vit D

  • 1% of diet

• MOA: diet, low vit D, egg production

• CS: Weakness, lethargy, seizures, tremors, splay leg, folding fractures, bld issues, egg binding

  • metabolic bone dx

• ID: Xray evaluation of bone quality and ionized

• Tx: parenteral D3, diet change

Iodine imbalances

• Normal:

  • for thyroid hormone synthesis

  • absorbed in intestines

• MOA:

  • Deficiency and excess

  • budgerigar

• CS: Resp signs, regurgitation, Goider

Gout

• MOA:

  • High UA, protien

  • Low Vit A, dehydration

• CS: renal dx, joint inflam

• ID: high UA, high opacity on xray, joint biopsy

• Tx: Allopurinol (inhibits), Colchicine (anti-fibrotic)

How do you tell if a bird will bite

• Pupils: rapidly changing

• Speed: fast is bad

• Tongue: in mouth is bad

  • out is questioning (good)

• Feathers: up is bad

• Posture: Wings out is bad

  • Foot up (good)

Bird Nail Trims

• Similar to small animals

• Clip from sides

• Human nail clippers, feline nail trimmers, emery board, dremel, Cautery pen

Wing Trimming

• Ask preference client

  • one wing, both wings

• Look for blood feathers

  • new feather in a sheath

• Trim primary feathers

• Long, sharp scissors

Beak Trimming

• Too long if points back towards body

  • liver dx if thick, irregular, overgrown

• Watch for bld, nerves, and Herbst corpuscles in beak

• Use Dremel to trim and shape

  • can use clipers on thin tips

Patient Positioning of Radiographs

• Sedation required

  • need to fast

  • have everything ready before induction

• Must be tabletop

• Ventrodorsal view

  • extended wings and feet

  • tape limbs

• Lateral view

  • Lower wing cranial to upper wing

  • Lower leg cranial to upper leg

The avian GIT in radiographs

• Crop is right of thoracic inlet

• Proventriculus

  • 45^o in ‘thorax’

  • starts dorsal to heart

  • dorsal to left liver lobe

• Ventriculus is left at level of hip

  • contains radiopaque particles

The Avian Liver on Radiographs

• Cranial edge wraps around apex of heart

  • Creates cardiac-hepatic waist

• lies between line drawn between greater trochanter and shoulder

Cardiopulmonary System on radiographs

• Heart is cranial to liver

  • cardiohepatic silhouette

• Major vessels visible on lateral

• Lungs lie against dorsal body wall and have honeycomb appearance

• Air sacs not visible unless inflamed

  • 9 air sacs

avian urogenital System on radiographs

• Kidneys lie ventral to pelvis in renal fossa of synsacrum

  • may have increased opacity with gout or inflammation

• No bladder in birds

  • except ostrich

• Genitals may be visible, especially in breeding season

• Female reproductive tract on left

The avian skeleton on radiographs

• Humerus and femur are pneumatic

• 8 thoracic vertebrae in psittacines

• Pygostyle: end of caudal vertebrae

  • flight feathers attach

• Synsacrum: pelvis and lumbar vertebrae

• Shoulder: coracoid, scapula, humerus, clavicle

• Ulna is larger than radius

• Carpal bones: radiocarpal, ulnar carpal (2)

• Toes: zygodacty

  • # 1+ clockwise from caudomedial digit

  • Alula is ‘thumb’ in wing

• Fused tarsus: tibiotarsus, tarsometatarsus

• Knee: fibula is incomplete and patella isn’t visible

The Avian CBC

• PCV, WBC and differential

  • Estimated WBC: count leukocytes on 40x wright stain bld smear, x5/5, x2000

  • Eosinophil Stain: hemacytometer, count eosinophils/heterophils

    • WBC = #cellsx1778 / %eosinophils/heterophils

• Samples collected in heparin

• Granulocytic cells: heterophil, eosinophil, basophil

• Mononuclear cells: lymphocyte, monocyte

White blood cell abnormalities

• High: infectious dx, inflam, stress, young

• Low: chronic dx, sepsis, toxins, bone marrow dx, artifacts

The Avian Heterophil

• ID: Lobed nucleus w/ pink, rod-shaped granules

• MOA: phagocytic, bactericidal, first responder

  • Equivalent to mammalian neutrophil

• Toxic changes: Basophilic inclusions, cytoplasmic vacuolization, basophilia, nuclear hypersegmentation

  • overwhelming infections

• Band cells: No nuclear segmentation, blue cytoplasm

  • severe infection

• High: infections, stress, trama, toxins, inflam

• Low: chronic dx, Pacheco’s virus, PBFD

  • normal in canaries and amazons

The Avian Eosinophil

• ID: Lobulated nucleus w/ round, pink granules in cytoplasm

• MOA: peroxidases, arginine, parasitic dx, hypersensitivity

The Avian Basophil

• ID: Lobulated nucleus w/ large, dark cytoplasmic granules

  • Granules may be affected by stains

• MOA: Produce, store, release histamine

  • hypersensitivity, edema, smooth muscle contraction, thrombocyte activation

The Avian Lymphocyte

• ID: Large nucleus with margin of light blue cytoplasm

• MOA: Cellular and humoral immune response

• High: chronic infectious dx, lymphoid leukemia

  • canaries, Amazons

• Low: chronic dx, viral dx

The Avian Monocyte

• ID: Lg, round to amoeboid cell w/ lg bluish cytoplasm w/ vacuoles

• MOA: antigen processing, Bacti phagocytosis, resp burst

• High: chlamydiosis, granulomas, necrosis

The Avian Erythrocyte

• ID: Lg, oval, nucleated cell

• MOA: Shorter life-span than mammalian

• Anemia: chronic dx, loss, toxins

The Avian Thrombocyte

• ID: Sm, darkly nucleated oval to round cell

  • clumps

• MOA: coagulation, bacti phagocytosis

Avian AST

• MOA: liver and muscle

  • Always measure CK too

  • best leakage enzyme

• Use other tests if CK and AST elevated

Total Protein in birds

• Total solids not reliable

• EPH is only way to test albumin and globulins

• Low: young, poor diet, GIT/renal loss, liver dx, overhydration

  • Lower than mammals

• High: dehydration, egg laying, inflam

Calcium measuring in birds

• Measures as total calcium

  • ionized is tighlty controled

• Impacted by low proteins

  • Artifactual decreases with EDTA and hypoproteinemia

• Low: nutritional, metabolic disease, hypoproteinemia, inadequate UV exposure

  • CS: trembling, weakness, lethargy, seizures

  • Risk: African gray parrots

• High: egg laying, rare

Phosphorus in birds

• 1/2 Ca level

• High: artifact of hemolysis/storage, renal disease

• Low: artifact

Uric Acid in birds

• Final nitrogenous waste product

• Excreted in renal tubule

• High: carnivorous meals, dehydration

Blood Glucose in Birds

• Higher than mammals

  • Diabetes mellitus rare

• Low: starvation, maldigestion, malabsorption, diet

Assessing Liver Disease in birds

• CS: Green urates, sternal lift, abdominal distension

• ID: Hepatomegaly on radiographs/ultrasound

  • High: AST, bile acids

  • Normal CK

  • Low: protien, Ca

Bile Acids in birds

• High: hepatic dx

  • High Post-prandial: <2x resting level, presence of gallbladder does not change

• Single sample: fasted is the best

Assessing Renal Disease in birds

• CS: Polyuria, polydypsia, diarrhea, abdominal mass/distension

• ID: Renomegaly on radiographs/ultrasound

  • High: uric acid, Phosphorus

  • Low: Ca and protein

Avian Polyoma Virus

• MOA:

  • feces, budgies, resp, crop

  • incubates 11-15d in budgies, 2-14d in other

  • Organ enlargement and necrosis

• Types

  • Budgie fledgling disease

    • MOA: Budgerigar form, at birth

    • CS: sudden death <15d old, death certain

  • Non-Budgie Form

    • AKA: Fulminate disease

    • MOA: 48hr is common chronic is rare

    • CS: Depression, regurgitation, diarrhea, SQ hemorrhages, abdominal distension

      • adults asymptomatic

• ID: Intra-nuclear inclusions, DNA probe

• TX: none, vax @ 4 and 8w

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease

• MOA: Only circovirus in psittacines

  • >3y is resistant

  • ingestion/inhalation

• CS: progressive feather/beak lesions

• What other virus can cause weird feathering in birds that recover from the early stages?

• ID: DNA probe, Hemagglutination, Basophilic inclusions

• Tx: none, support, quarantine + retest in 90d

Chlamydia

• MOA:

  • feces, resp, ocular secretions, enviro contamination

  • Biphasic life cycle (Reticulate and elementary body)

  • stress triggered

  • zoonotic and reportable

• CS: diarrhea, biliverdinuria, depression, resp dx, Hepato-splenomegaly

  • none, acute, chronic forms

• ID: all kinda suck

  • CBC/Chem: Leukocytosis, anemia, High AST/Bile acids, Beta/gamma globinulinopathy

  • Rads/US: Hepato-splenomegaly; air sacculitis, hyperechoic liver and spleen

  • Cytology: Heterophilic/macrophagic inflam

  • Blds: PCR, direct complement fixation (IgG), early elementary body agglutination (IgM)

• Tx: Doxycycline 14-45d

  • not immune post tx

Bite Wounds

• MOA: P. multocida in SA

• CS: fatal septicemia

• TX: flush and antibiotics

  • even if no bite wounds visible

Blood feather damage

• MOA: growing feather has bld supply

• Tx: pull feather, hemostatic agents, pressure

Unilateral Lameness in birds

• MOA: renal tumors (sciatic dx)

  • sm birds (budgies)

• ID: rads

• CS: Withdrawal present but unable to move rest of leg

• Tx: none

Hemorrhage

• MOA: <25% is mild, severe 30%<

• TX: Treat like hypovolemic shock

  • Mild: fluids + iron

  • Severe: transfusion

    • give 20% of bld volume, closely related donor as possible

Oral Candidiasis

• MOA: Candida albicans

• ID: cytology w/ gram or Diff-Quick

• Tx: Nystatin, chlorhexidine, ketoconazole, fluconazole

Malocclusions

• MOA:

  • Macaws and cockatoos

  • Improper hand-feeding, genetics, diet

• TX: physical therapy

Crop diseases

• Sour crop or Crop Stasis

  • MOA: poor husbandry w/ secondary infection

  • ID: cytology, culture

  • TX: Crop flushes, antibiotics, sm meals, crop ‘bra

• Crop Fistulas

  • MOA: thermal injury to crop

  • CS: tissue necrosis, food leakage

  • TX: sx

Proventricular diseases

• Avian Bornavirus or PDD

  • CS: lymphoplasmacytic neuritis, weight loss, delayed crop emptying, passage of undigested food in droppings

  • ID: enlarged, food filled proventriculus on rads, crop biopsy, PCR, Anti-gangliocide abs

  • TX: supportive, COX-2 inhibitors

• Foreign Bodies

  • MOA: in proventriculus or ventriculus

  • CS: impactions and regurgitation

  • TX: laxatives, flushing, endoscopy, sx proventriculotomy

Intestinal diseases in birds

• Bacterial Enteritis

  • MOA: Most common cause of diarrhea in pet birds

    • Gram negative bacteria

      • Campylobacter, Clostridium

  • ID: fecal culture/cytology

• Mycobacteriosis

  • MOA: gram positive, fecal-oral, enviro

    • Tubercles form throughout GIT/liver

    • Zoonotic

  • CS: Weight loss, voluminous diarrhea

  • ID: biopsy/culture w/ acid fast stain, PCR

    • Bld: Leukocytosis, monocytosis, high AST/bile acids, Beta/gamma globulinopathies

    • Rads: Thickened bowel loops, hepatomegaly

  • TX: multiple-drug (Isoniazid, ethambutol, clarithromycin), euth

Cloaca diseases

• Prolapse

  • MOA: Chronic egg-laying, egg binding, constipation, nutritional dx, behavioral dx

  • ID: pink, glistening tissue outside of vent

  • CS: Straining to defecate, abnormal defecation

  • TX: mannual replace, hypertonics (shrink), hormones, diet, cloacopexy/cloacoplasty

• Papilloma

  • MOA: Amazons and macaws

  • CS: irregular cobblestone masses, bloody droppings, tenesmus, odiferous feces, and flatulence

  • ID: biopsy, vinegar

  • TX: Sx, spontaneous

Gastric anatomy in birds

Dude idk what to put here i’m overwhelmed :)

• Duodenum U-shaped around pancreas

Avain resp system anatomy

• Trachea: Complete, signet-shaped cartilage w/ overlap

• Atria: Contain air capillaries

• Air capillaries: Avian version of alveoli

• Parabronchi and blood vessels at 90^o

  • Cross-current flow

• Two breath cycle

  • First cycle: Trachea > caudal air sacs > lungs

  • Second Cycle: Lungs > cranial air sacs > cranial air sacs > trachea

General Resp diseases signs and treatment

• Upper resp dx:

  • CS: Open-mouthed breathing, high RR, nasal discharge (bld = trama/FB/Cancer), Groove in beak, abnormal nares, facial swelling

  • ID: discharge/plug cytology and culture, flush

  • TX: O2 mask cadge, antibiotics/antifungals

• Lg airway dx:

  • MOA: tracheal granulomas, FBs, thyroid

  • CS: click, open mouth breathing, high resp effort, wet sounds

  • TX: O2 mask cadge, Terbutaline, Air sac cannula

• Sm airway dx

  • MOA: inhaled toxins, smoke, asthma

  • CS: Open-mouthed breathing, Wide-based stance, Wings abducted

  • TX: O2 mask cadge, Terbutaline, Diphenhydramine, Meloxicam

• Parenchymal dx

  • MOA: lungs and air sacs dx

  • CS: high RR and effort, tail-bob, not open mouth

• Abdominal dx:

  • MOA: Mass, egg, fluid restricts airsca volume

  • CS: Tachypnea, short shallow resp, worse with handling!

  • TX: remove fluid, remove egg, terbutaline, meloxicam

• Lower Airway:

  • ID: rads, endosopy

  • TX: O2, Bronchodilators, Meloxicam, Nebulization, anti biotics/fungals

Upper resp diseases

• Rhinitis:

  • CS: serous or mucopurulent discharge, grove in beak

  • ID: culture, cytology

  • TX: flush, antibiotics, antifungals

• Infraobrbital sinusitis

  • MOA: low vit A

  • CS: Exudate doesn’t drain

  • ID: culture, cytology

  • TX: sx debride

• Infraobrbital sinus rupture

  • CS: air accumulation under skin along head and neck, normal RR

  • TX: EMLA + burn hole, Stoma

Tracheal disease

• Aspergillus

  • CS: Granulomas, secondary infections

  • ID: culture, cytoogy, biopsy, rads, virus isolation, PCR, galatomannan

  • TX: antibiotics, antifungals, sx mass removal, air sac tube

• Parasitic

  • gallinaceous birds

  • Gapeworm: Syngamus trachea

  • Tracheal mite: Sternosoma traceacolum

  • CS: Wheezing, coughing, open-mouthed breathing

Tracheal surgery in birds

• Endoscopy

  • Place air sac cannula for anesthesia

  • Direct down trachea without sleeve

  • Use biopsy instruments if needed

• Tracheotomy

  • Ventral midline incision of neck

  • Place air sac cannula

  • Elevate and isolate trachea and incise between rings

  • Close trachea over several rings and skin loosely

Lung disease in birds

• Asthma

  • MOA: macaws

    • erosols , fragrances, smoke, cockatoo dander

  • CS: Open-mouthed breathing, notable inspiratory effort

  • TX: O2, Albuterol

• Pneumonia

  • Bacti: gram -, staph/strep, chlamydophila

  • Fungi: Aspergillus

  • Aspiration:

    • MOA: area of first inhalation (Caudal air sacs and lungs)

    • Rads: Pulmonary opacification, air sacculitis

  • CS: lung granulomas, air sac plaques, high WBC, monocytosis, globulinopathy

• Parasites:

  • MOA: Sternosoma, Syngamus, Sarcocystis falculata

    • Old World psittacines, opossum

  • CS: Pulmonary edema, hemorrhage

  • TX: TMS or pyrimethamine

Extra resp disease in birds

• MOA: dx of coelomic cavity that decreased air sac space

  • Fluids

    • Transudate: hypoproteinemia, liver dx, inflam, neoplasia

    • Exudate: egg yolk peritonitis, infection, neoplasia

  • Masses: tumors, granulomas

  • Shelled eggs: caudal and firm

  • Unshelled eggs: Cranial, less distinct

  • Uterine: torsion or dx

• ID: cytology fluids , US, rads

  • Liver disease: cranial ventral accumulation

  • Intestines visible: intestinal cavity or caudal mass

Key avian reporductive anatomy

• Ovary: Usually on left, cranial to kidney

  • Left ovary and oviduct functional

• Testes: paired, cranial to kidneys

Egg binding

• MOA:

  • Chronic egg layers-uterine exhaustion

  • Adult, new egg layers-oversized egg

  • Cockatiel, budgie, lovebird, finches

• CS: Depressed, quiet, lethargic, tachypneic, dyspneic, wide stance, not perching, paresis, paralysis, abdominal swelling, straining

• Sequala: shock, pelvic n. compression, oviduct necrosis, renal dx

• ID: US, CBC, rads (Box shot or orthogonal)

• TX: stabilize, Ca, dextrose, Vit A/E/D,

  • if fails…hormones (PGE2, Oxytocin after Ca), express under anesthesia, remove egg contents w/ needle to crush and flush, Salpingohysterectomy

Prolapse of oviduct

• MOA:

  • Chronic egg laying

  • Sequela of egg-binding

  • Salpingitis/metritis/hyperplasia

• TX: Clean, lubricate, keep moist, egg removal, DMSO, 50% dextrose, stay sutures, salpingohysterectomy

Egg yolk peritonitis

• MOA: release of egg yolk into coelomic cavity

  • cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds, ducks, macaws

• CS: Ascites, lethargy, weakness, depression, anorexia, recent egg laying, resp dx,

• ID: high WBC/Ca/protien, rads, US, abdominal tap w/ round yolk droplets

• TX: Antibiotics, anti-inflam, abdominocentesis, sx

  • septic has poor prognosis

Chronic egg laying

• MOA: repeated clutches or larger than normal clutches

  • sm birds, and hand raised parrots

• CS: broodiness, regurg, feather loss at vent

• Sequelae: egg binding, low Ca, malnutrition, yolk eboli

• TX: diet, add stress, stop nesting, let incubate ten remove eggs, Leuprolide acetate and Deslorelin (GnRH), sx

Reproductive issues in male birds

• Prolapsed phallus

  • TX: Clean, lubricate, shrink and replace, Sx removal

• Orchiditis

  • ID: biopsy, post mortem

• Testicular neoplasia

  • MOA: budgie

  • CS: Abdominal swelling, ascites, lameness

  • TX: laser ablation

• Chronic masturbation 8==D

  • TX: remove stimulants, hormons

Venipuncture

• Jugular vein: Most common site

  • Right is larger

  • Large sample

• Wing vein

  • Basilic vein lowest hematoma risk

  • Ulnar vein easiest to see

• Metatarsal vein

  • Easiest in waterfowl and larger parrots

  • Easiest to prevent leakage/hematoma

Nutrition for Sick Birds

• MER x 1.5 for sick birds

  • MER = BMR x 1.5

• Human or avian enteric formulas

• Red rubber catheter: soft bills, chickens, young parrots, raptors

  • can be bitten by adult birds

• Ball-tipped feeding tubes: Adult parrots

• Gavage Feeding:

  • two person job

  • food w/ hot water, use syringe to push through a tube

    • 3cc/100g adult or 6cc/100g baby

  • tube is placed left of mouth, right of neck, into crop

• Esophagostomy Tube:

  • Use: Beak, oral injury, esophagus/crop injury, anorexia

  • Tube measured to proventriculus and placed midcervix into proventriculus

Injection sites

• SQ: cranial thigh fold or back

• IM: pectoral muscle

  • dont need to draw back

• OS: Distal ulna or proximal tibiotarsus for OS catheter

  • Locate distal ulnar prominence and move extensor tendon over

  • twist through cortex setting needle far in bone

  • tape butterfly w/ figure 8 wing wrap

• IV: Jugular (Lg birds), Wing, Metatarsal vein (Lg birds)

• Insert catheter into vein - do not feed!

Tracheal Intubation

• No laryngoscope needed

• Push up under beak to expose glottis

Things from the review i dont have

• What is this bird and what vein would you use to get blood from it? What’s a fast and effective way to get vascular access in this bird? (lg vs sm)

• What makes this system so unique in birds? What are the parts of it? (ish)

• unique GI structures

• What are 3 causes of plaques in a bird’s mouth?

• Tell me about TB in birds.

• What’s a good differential for this bird radiograph? Cause? Signs? Treatment?

• Describe the female reproductive tract oviduct to me.

• Egg binding vs dystocia