Avian Flashcards
How should avians be housed?
large cage or aviary for multiple birds
single birds in a large indoor cage
Why should a large cage be important for multi bird housing?
minimize territorial stress and maximize space for flight
What should you offer breeding birds?
nest box
Why do birds require a large variety of nesting surfaces?
grasping
chewing
exercising the feet and reducing the risk of bumblefoot
Why should a large variety of toys be offered?
environmental enrichment and stress reduction
What should food and water dishes be made of?
stainless steel or ceramic
How often should you change food and water?
Daily
How often should you clean the cage?
Every 2-3 days using dilute bleach
What lighting should be used?
UVA and UVB
How do you ID birds?
leg bands or microchips
What do parrots eat?
pellets
What do canaries and finches eat?
seeds
What should birds be fed in addition to pellets or seeds?
Fruits and vegetables
What needs to be supplemented in the diet of birds
calcium
What foods are toxic to birds?
avocados, chocolate, comfrey
What foods should you avoid in birds?
high in sugar or salt
How should birds be brought into the clinic?
Cage or animal carrier
Critical Condition signs in birds?
open beak breathing
wings out
tail bobbing
depression
feathers fluffed in the bottom of the cage
eyes closed
What are the venipuncture sites of birds?
right jugular vein
basilic (wing) vein
median tarsometatarsal vein
Dermatologic diseases in birds?
- flies
- lice, ticks, mites
- ulceration or folliculitis from bacterial infection
- Stress bards
- Feather picking
What causes stress bars?
poor husbandry
infections
self mutilation
What causes feather picking?
Could be disease or psychological
What are normal droppings of birds?
Contain both feces and urine, comes from the cloaca, fecal part should be dark and well formed, urine part should have white crystals and small amount of liquid
What is swollen crop?
GI infection that can be caused by trichomonas, candida, or bacterial
What is PDD?
Proventricular Dilation Disease caused by avian Bornavirus
What are the symptoms of PDD?
nervous system inflammation leading to neurologic signs and GI dysfunction
What parasites can birds get?
tapeworm, giardia, and roundworms
What is the respiratory disease of birds?
Aspergillosis
What is aspergillosis?
fungal infection of the respiratory tract; may lead to fungal granulomas in the upper or lower respiratory tract
What are the 3 reproductive diseases of birds?
- Egg binding
- Egg Yolk Peritonitis
- Chronic Egg Laying
What is egg binding?
obstruction of eggs in reproductive tract
What causes egg binding
poor nutrition
hypocalcemia
large eggs
obesity
tumors
infection of oviduct
stress
genetics
What is egg yolk peritonitis?
occurs when ovulation occurs outside of the oviduct into the abdomen
What can prevent chronic egg laying?
Dietary and behavioral changes
What are the viral diseases of birds?
- Psittacine beak and feather disease
- Polyoma Virus
- Pachechos disease
What is pachechos disease?
Parrot herpesvirus and it is often fatal
What is Chlamdyophila psittaci?
zoonotic bacterial respiratory disease
What is exotic newcastle disease?
Zoonotic virus that can cause clinical signs in birds but results in sinusitis and lethargy in humans
What is west nile virus?
Zoonotic disease passed through infected mosquitos that causes neurologic disease in animals and humans
What is avian influenza?
Zoonotic disease that can result in flu like symptoms and death in animals and people.
