Non-infectious Diseases

What is the pathology of lead poisoning?

1. Ingestion

2. Goes in circulation to mostly bone for storage

3. Also goes to liver, muscles, and nerves

What does lead replace in the body?

Calcium

Where is lead stored in the body?

Bone

What are the target organs for lead?

Liver, muscles, nerves

What is the pathogenesis of zinc?

1. Ingestion

2. Corrosive GI effects like melena

3. Circulation

4. Accumulates in pancreas

5. Also goes to kidney and liver

Where does zinc accumulate?

Pancreas

Why are some C/S of zinc toxicity?

Hemolysis and anemia

Neurologic signs

How do you diagnose lead and zinc poisoning?

History

Blood or tissue levels of zinc and lead

Radiographs may see metal

Why are radiographs not perfect for diagnosing lead and zinc toxicity?

Not all particles can be seen due to water

Not all particles that are seen are toxic

How do you treat lead and zinc toxicity?

Decontaminate with endoscopy, surgery (not recommneded), cathartics, or chelation

What are some problems with endoscopy to remove zinc or lead in the GI tract?

If lower than ventriculus is it very hard (proventriculus and crop are good)

Size limiting

Why is surgery not recommended to remove zinc or lead?

Dehiscence or coelomitis is common

What are cathartics?

Helps lubricate GI but be careful to dehydrate

What is the most important way to treat lead and zinc toxicity?

Chelation with Ca-EDTA

What causes teflon toxicity?

Polytetrafluorethylene

What is the source of teflon toxicity?

Overheated non-stick items (>450F)

What are the C/S of teflon toxicity?

Sudden death

Somnolence, dyspnea, wheezing, incoordination, weakness is most common

What is the pathophysiology of teflon toxicity?

Lungs with pulmonary edema, necrosis, and hemorrhage

How do you treat teflon toxicity?

Oxygen and supportive care

Can try furosemide and antibiotics

What is the prognosis for teflon toxicity?

Poor to guarded

What are sources of nicotine inhalation?

Second hand smoke then being metabolized to cotinine

What are the C/S of inhaled nicotine?

Upper and lower respiratory signs

Dermatitis

Secondary infections

How do you treat nicotine toxicity?

Remove source

Decontaminate

Supportive care

What species are predisposed to iron storage disease?

Lories, lorikeets and other psittacines

Also mynahs, starlings, and toucans

Why are some birds predisposed to iron storage disease?

They adapted to low iron diet and now have increased iron absorption in GI

What is the pathophysiology of iron storage disease?

Exposure to high iron diets leads to accumulation of iron in liver

This causes hepatomegaly and ascites

What are the C/S of iron storage disease?

Listlessness

Poor feather quality (due to liver disease)

Dyspnea (due to organomegaly and ascites)

How do you diagnose iron storage disease?

History, signalment, and CS

Blood work with elevated liver enzymes

Hepatomegaly on rads

Liver iron content with a prussian blue stain

How do you definitively diagnose iron storage disease?

Liver biopsy to get iron levels and a prussian blue stain

How do you treat iron storage disease?

Diet modification to reduce vitamin C and provide tannin-rich ingredients like tea

Chelation therapy with deferiprone

Phlebotomy

Supportive care

What cancer is common in budgerigars?

Renal carcinoma

What is the pathogenesis of renal carcinomas?

Causes problems with femoral, obturator, and sciatic nerves because they pass through kidneys

Kidney enlargement will compress nerves and cause paresis and paralysis

Coelomic distension is also problem

What is a classic clinical signs of renal carcinomas?

Paralysis seen by all the digits being pointed in the same direction while perched

How do you diagnose renal carcinoma?

HIstopathology post-mortem is definitive

Can try radiographs

How do you treat renal carcinomas?

Not available, maybe radiation 

What is egg bound, salpingitis, and metritis common in?

Egg laying birds like cockatiel, budgerigar, and hens

What are some predisposing factors to egg bound, salpingitis, and metritis?

First time layer

High egg production

Poor diet

What are the C/S of a reproductive disease?

Sudden stop in egg laying or malformed enlarged eggs

Non-specific signs of straining or frank blood in droppings

How do you diagnose reproductive diseases?

Inflammatory leukogram

Hypercalcemia

Imaging with rads, US, or CT

Cloacoscopy

How do you treat reproductive diseases?

Medical treatment with 24 hours of hydration

Quiet, warm, humid, and dark incubator

PGF (NOT PGF2ALPHA)

How do you treat an egg bound?

Suction of contents with needle through cloaca but ONLY when able to visualize egg

Collapse and removal of eggshell

If Sx is needed salpingohysterectomy

What are some complications of egg bound?

Salpingitis and coelomitis

What is cloacal prolapse common in?

Psittacines (oviductal or intestinal prolapse is more common in other animals)

What prolapse is common in raptors?

Intestinal

What are causes of cloacal prolapse?

Masturbatory behavior

Sexual overwork

Increased intracelomic pressure

Cloacal disease

GI disease

What animals are more likely to get cloacal prolapse due to masturbatory behavior?

Male cockatoos

What animals are more likely to get cloacal prolapse due to sexual overwork?

Waterfowl

What can cause intracelomic pressure and cloacal prolapse?

Increased fluids ro egg binding

How do you treat cloacal prolpase?

If complicated euthanasia or intracoelomic surgery

If uncomplicated ventoplasty, supportive care or replacement

How do you do a temporal ventoplasty?

Avoid sphincter muscle

Do not do a purse stringa nd ensure there is enough space for evacuation of droppings

Remove in a few days after swelling is down

Why do you eventually need to remove a temporal ventoplasty?

The bird will not be able to lay an egg

What is the most common cardiovascular lesion on necropsy?

Atherosclerosis

What is atherosclerosis?

Chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the arterial wall causing narrowing of the lumen, accumulation of debris, and endothelial damage

What is atherosclerosis more common in?

Amazon parrots, gray parrots, cockatiels

Falconiformes

What are the risk factors for atherosclerosis?

High caloric diet

Limited physical activity

Estrogen levels in females

How do you treat atherosclerosis?

Prevention is best can try supportive care

Can try pentoxifylline 

What are xanthomas?

Benign masses that are intradermal deposits of cholesterol clefts

What are xanthomas associated with?

Foreign body reaction/trauma

Can ulcerate

Why is the distal carpus common to get xanthomas?

They flap a lot and can cause trauma and inflammation there

How do you diagnose xanthomas?

Histopathology

How do you treat xanthomas?

Benign neglect usually

If impairs movement surgical debridement but it is very vascular

Introduce dietary fat reduction