16.8.4: Reproductive disease in avian and exotic species Flashcards
What is POOS and why does it occur?
What forms of POES are there?
Clinical signs of repro disease in reptiles
- Lethargy
- Anorexia
- Bloated/ distended coelomic cavity
- Dyspnoea
- Lameness / leg paresis (tortoises mainly)
- Swelling around the cloaca
- Straining ± blood or prolapsed tissue from the cloaca
- Behaviour changes e.g. pacing, nesting, digging
Clinical signs of repro disease in birds
- Lethargy / depression
- Inappetance / reduced crop fill
- Bloated / distended
- Dyspnoea
- Seizures / tremors
- Separation from the group / being bullied (chickens)
- Lameness / leg paresis, reluctance to move or perch
- Straining ± blood or prolapsed tissue from cloaca
- Fluffed up appearance, hunched posture, wide-legged stance
- Behaviour changes e.g. feather plucking, aggression, regurgitation
Prolapses
Top L = prolapsed cloaca
Bottom R = prolapsed uterus
Causes of prolapses in reptiles
Anything that increases the pressure on the coelomic cavity
* Constipation
* Endoparasites
* Impaction
* Egg binding
* Egg in the bladder
* Cystitis / bladder stones
* Traumatic copulation (if disconnected too quickly)
* Bite wounds
Common repro conditions in reptiles
- Prolapse e.g. hemipene, cloaca, oviduct
- Impactions e.g. hemipene, femoral pores (affected by lack of humidity)
- Hypocalcaemia
- Pre-Ovulatory Ovarian Stasis (POOS)
- Post-Ovulatory Egg Stasis (POES; dystocia)
- Neoplasia
What does a tortoise need in order to lay eggs?
A nesting site - will refuse to lay if no nesting site to burrow in
True/false: some snakes require high humidity to lay eggs and will refuse if this is not present.
True
Common avian repro conditions
- Sexual frustration
- Chronic egg laying
- Abnormal eggs
- Egg binding
- Prolapse e.g. oviduct, phallus
- Coelomitis (egg yolk peritonitis)
- Salpingitis (inflammation of the oviduct)
- Neoplasia
Which birds show sexual frustration commonly as pets?
- Very common problem for pet parrots who live alone
- In the wild these birds form monogamous pairings that bond for life
Behaviour that bonded birds display to each other
- Stroking
- Beak touching
- Preening/ cleaning each other
- Feeding each other
Owners do this for their birds!
What signs might a bird display if they are lonely or inappropriately bonded to their owner?
- Excessive regurgitation (especially if there are mirrors in their cage)
- Feather plucking due to frustration, stress, anxiety
- Jealousy and aggression, especially to spouses of their partner
- Excessive egg laying
How can you prevent sexual frustration / inappropriate owner bonding in pet birds?
- Share interaction and caring responsibilities equally between members of the household
- Avoid stroking the bird down its back and definitely stop if the bird starts to regurgitate
- Avoid certain behaviours e.g. mouth to beak feeding
- Do not positively reinforce courtship behaviours e.g. regurgitation, dancing, tapping (remove attention if these happen)
- Remove mirrors in their cage so they cannot self-bond
- Keep them as a pair (species-dependent); be careful rapidly reintroducing new parrots if they have been alone for a while
Which birds commonly show chronic egg laying?
- Captive cockatiels, lovebirds, budgies
- Can lay a large number of eggs in succession
- This can occur without the presence of a mate and outside the correct breeding season
- Removing the eggs as they are laid can induce the birds to lay more (double clutching)
Effects of chronic egg laying
- Uterine inertia
- Calcium depletion
- Egg binding
- Egg peritonitis / coelomitis
- Osteoporosis
Predisposing factors to chronic egg laying
- Increased photoperiod
- Food type e.g. high fat / high calorie diet (lots of seeds)
- Presence of actual or perceived mates (toys, owners, mirrors can be interpreted as mates)
- Short-circuit somewhere in repro hardwiring - some birds will chronic egg lay even if you do everything right
What is coelomitis and what are some common causes?
Coelomitis: inflammation of the coelomic cavity.
Common causes
* Ectopic eggs (eggs in coelomic cavity causes severe inflammatory reaction)
* Ovarian neoplasia
* Cystic ovarian disease
* Oviductal disease e.g. salpingitis
Image: air sacs are compressed; lack of contrast suggests filled with fluid. Coelomic cavity extends caudally too.
What is avian egg binding and what causes it?
Avian egg binding: very similar to POES in reptiles but more common as birds lay more frequently than reptiles.
Signalment: can happen in any bird but more common in smaller species e.g. budgies, cockatiels, finches, canaries
Common causes
* Laying e.g. chronic or first time layers
* Eggs e.g. malformed eggs
* Disease e.g. systemic or oviductal disease
* Husbandry e.g. lack of exercise, low temperatures, malnutrition (deficiencies in Ca, Vit A, Vit E, obesity)
* Genetic predisposition
Complications of avian egg binding
Just like in reptiles, an egg lodged in the pelvic canal may compress the pelvic blood vessels, kidneys, ureters, ischiatic nerves, leading to:
* Circulatory disorders
* Lameness, paresis, paralysis
* Pressure necrosis of the oviduct
* Metabolic disturbances (by interfering with normal defecation and micturition, and by causing ileus and renal disease)
Which species are exploratory laparotomies more common in, birds or reptiles?
More common in reptiles; high risk of coelomic surgery in birds
What initial diagnostic tests could you consider when investigating repro disease in birds and reptiles?
- Imaging: radiographs, ultrasound, CT if available; useful for looking at eggs, follicles, neoplasia
- Aspiration ± C&S, cytology: useful for infections, egg yolk peritonitis
- Exploratory laparotomy may be used to diagnose and treat if a lesion is found on palpation or imaging
When female birds and reptiles are laying, what would you expect to see with regards to total calcium levels in the blood?
Total Ca will be increased
Ionised will not
Ultrasound is more useful in which species: birds or reptiles? What might you use it for?
- Ultrasound not very useful in birds due to feather coverage.
- Very useful in reptiles - used to diagnose SOL lesions hard to ID on rads e.g. follicles
Which imaging modality is preferred in tortoises?
CT
* But expensive and often requires referral
* Radiography is useful for screening and identifying SOLs, but can be hard to identify organ and structure involved.
* Ultrasound useful e.g. for follicles.
Investigating the exotic pet with suspect repro disease, what might you look for on bloods and faecal testing?
- Biochemistry: systemic health and underlying causes such as MBD, renal disease
- Faecal testing: parasitology (may be an underlying cause e.g. of cloacal prolapse)
How could you surgically treat POOS?
Ovariectomy
How could you surgically treat egg binding, oviductal disease, ovarian tumours, and chronic egg laying?
Salpingohysterotomy/ salpingohysterectomy
How could you surgically treat egg binding / POES?
Ovocentesis
How could you surgically treat reproductive tumours?
Orchidectomy
How could you treat a prolapse?
- Lubricate and replace OR amputation prolapse if appropriate
- Can play stay sutures to prevent future prolapse (take care that stay sutures in the cloaca do not cause egg binding in future)
- Investigate and treat the underlying cause
What should you always do before taking an exotic pet to surgery?
Stabilise; this means:
* Provide fluids
* Warm
* Provide nutrition
What medical treatments are available for reproductive disease in birds and reptiles?
Which forms of dystocia require surgical treatment?
Which forms of dystocia can be treated medically / with husbandry changes?
How will you treat POES in reptiles or egg binding in birds?
What management changes should you make after POES in a reptile?
How could you decrease egg laying in a bird?
What considerations should you take into account with regard to neutering reptiles?
What considerations should you take into account with regard to neutering birds?
