Avian Diseases PDF

Avian Diseases and Techniques Parakeets Macaws  Amazons Blue Blue cheek front Hispanol a Yellow Yellow headed naped  Conures Green Sun cheek Nanday Jenday A...

Avian Diseases and Techniques Parakeets Macaws  Amazons Blue Blue cheek front Hispanol a Yellow Yellow headed naped  Conures Green Sun cheek Nanday Jenday African Grey Timne Congo h Eclectus Male Femal e  Cockatoo Major Mitchell Sulphur-crested Rose breasted Umbrella Molucca n Cockatiel Male Femal e Signs of a sick bird Bleeding Fluffed feathers Quiet mouth breathing/panting Open Sleepy on Sitting eyes bottom of cage Crusty Tail bobbing material around nose/mouth Change in attitude Swelling on body Decreased water/food consumption The Sick Bird Since birds (for the most part) are prey and flock animals they hide their illness. This way the flock does not kick them out or even kill them. Unfortunately, that means that they may be sick for days or even weeks before exhibiting any signs All birds should be seen ASAP Bringing the Bird to the Clinic Transport in cage or pet carrier The bird should always be secured in something Bring the contents of the bottom of the cage. Cover cage with sheet or towel Keep warm Handling the Sick Bird limited physical exam – mostly through observation do diagnostics in stages – most diagnostic first Be prepared for everything before handling on presentation, put in heated oxygen cage perform fecal gram stain and weigh if The Importance of Bird Poop Analyzing the Droppings 3 parts – Feces Green to brown, can change according to diet Slightly loose – Urates White to light beige – Urine clear Abnormal Color of Urates Yellow – Yellow vegetables, liver dz, hemolysis, Vitamin B supplementation Green – Liver dz, hemolysis, green vegetables Brown – Lead toxicosis, vitamin B supplementation, chicks fed animal-protein based diets Red – Hemoglobin, myoglobin, blood, or red colored food Bacterial- Normal Flora Normal flora can cause infection, usually induced by stress or poor nutrition Normal flora consists of: – 60-80% gram positive rods – 20-40% gram positive cocci Signs include diarrhea, nasal discharge, regurgitation, and sneezing Chlamydiosis Chlamydophila psittaci Dyspnea, green urates, anorexia, lethargy, icterus, variable Aerosol transmission- respiratory, feather dust, and stool Dx- fecal antigen (shedding), blood antigen (infected), or serum antibodies (exposed) Chlamydiosis Tx- doxycycline for 45 days by law Zoonotic- reportable dz More common in birds than humans, can be fatal to humans and very dangerous to pregnant humans Clostridiosis Clostridium spp.- anaerobic bacteria Septic-tank-type smell to the diarrhea, fetid gas Dx- gram stain-gram +, large, clear spore in center or edge, anaerobic culture Tx- clindamycin Transmission- opportunistic Mycotic- Aspergillosis Aspergillus flavus/fumigatus None to dyspnea or loss of voice Dx- antigen/antibody serology, plasma electrophoresis, radiology, endoscopy (mass in air sac or tracheal bifurcation), fungal culture Tx- antifungals Trans.- inhalation from contaminated food, feces, and soil Aspergillus Candidiasis Candida albicans Regurgitation, diarrhea, anorexia, delayed crop emptying, sweet/sour smell to crop contents Dx- crop and fecal gram stain- egg shaped purple organism w/more than 3 budding yeast/hpf Tx- nystatin or ketaconazole Trans- poor living conditions, opportunistic Viral- Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) Circovirus None to feather dystrophy and loss, beak necrosis Old world species most susceptible, can have very long incubation period Dx- DNA probe test and or DNA in situ hybridization on feather follicle biopsy Tx- none Trans- feather dust, feces, crop Polyoma Budgerigar Fledgling Dz Polyomavirus Usually in young birds Delayed crop emptying, anorexia, lethargy, SQ hemorrhage Dx- DNA probe of feces or necropsy Tx- none Prevention- vaccines Trans- fecal and feather dust Pachecos Herpesvirus Sudden death Dx- necropsy Tx- none Prevention- vaccine Mortality decreased in an outbreak if acyolovir is administered to flock Trans- feces and respiratory secretions Proventricular Dilataion Disease PDD Unidentified 89nm virus – Possible Bornavirus Severe weight loss despite ravenous appetite, whole pieces of food found in feces, delayed crop emptying, crop stasis Dx- crop biopsy w/histopathologic dx of lymphoplasmocytic ganglioneuritis Tx- none Trans.- unsure, we just found out it was a virus, do not know much from there, it is contagious though PDD Megabacteria Avian Gastric Yeast None to regurgitation, vomiting, yellow pasty droppings, melena, weight loss Dx- fecal or crop gram stain Tx- amphotericin-B Trans.- unsure, we know that it is very infectious Parasites- Giardia None to diarrhea Dx- ELISA test or direct fecal smear Tx- metronidazole Trans.- water/ food Knemidokoptosis Knemidokoptes pilae Scaly legs/face Can cause beak deformation Dx- visual, skin/beak scrape Tx- ivermectin topically Other diseases Egg binding Trauma Toxicities – Heavy metals, inhalant household products Nutritional deficiencies Diabetes mellitus Degenerative diseases- liver and kidneys Hepatic lipidosis Role of Diet in Disease Management Roudybush – Acute Care – PDD maldigestion/malabsorption – Weight loss formula – Renal care – Liver care – Intestinal care Venipuncture- How much can I take? safely take in ml’s 1% of body weight in grams – for sick birds only take 0.5% 30 gram Parakeet – 0.3ml 110 gram conure – 1.1ml 563 gram Amazon – 5.63ml Jugular Venipuncture Ulnar or Brachial Venipuncture Medial Metatarsal Venipuncture Tube Feeding done frequently with sick birds use stainless steel feeding tube with rounded tips Oral speculum – metal or hard plastic Heat food to 101-104F enter on the left side and advance towards the right side into the crop  Administer the feeding slowly watch for any food in the mouth – if seen, pull out and release the bird How Much Can I Feed? generally 10-12% of body weight in ml’s – birds with larger crops can handle up to 14% Calculate RER and DER as you would for a dog divide that amount into feedings the bird can tolerate based on crop size Fluid Therapy SC – axilla, interscapular, medial and lateral flank region – used in mildly dehydrated birds IV or IO in severe dehydration or illness – jugular, ulnar, ulna Wing Trims only meant to prevent lift – other forces of flight should still work gravity, thrust, and drag A proper wing trim will allow the bird to have a controlled glide down never trim blood feathers – allows have at least 3 feathers together if any must be left Wing Trims generally the first 5 primary flight feathers to the level of the primary coverts – long tailed, long wing span may need 7 – short tailed, short wing span may need 3 never trim the wings of an obese bird unless flight has been observed never leave the first 2-4 primary flight feathers never cut the secondary flight feathers Radiographs Anesthesia try to avoid mask induction without analgesics and sedatives – stage II can break wings – wrap in towel if mask inducing Birds are very sensitive to inhalants due to their ultra efficient respiratory cycle – monitor respiratory rate closely – they react to small changes in inhalant concentrations Anesthesia tracheal intubation is easy – if not possible can do air sac cannulation in the posterior air sacs. Monitoring respiratory rate and heart rate are most important can also do BP, ECG, pulse oximetry – QRS is negative deflection ventilators are recommended Recovery Wrap them in towel and hold them until they are able to stand on their own Do not give them perches or anything to climb on until they have fully recovered Euthanasia generally mask induction then ICe injection – can do intracranial – intracardiac is difficult Cervical dislocation is acceptable – must be under anesthesia