Avian Handling, Physical Exam, & Clinical Techniques Flashcards
What equipment can be used for avian handling?
- towel for restraint
- googles + hood
- bite gloves
- kickboard
beware of sharp beaks and talons and wings
What is proper restraint for avian patients? What sedation can be used for high-stress birds?
- safe to restrain around the neck due to cartilage rings around the trachea
- NEVER restrict movement of the keel
- tuck in wings and legs into normal position
- consider a dark room or eye covering to calm down
Midazolam or Butorphanol IN or IM
What should be avoided when handling psittacines? What should be done?
removing the bird from owner’s arm or shoulder
- approach calmly and keep towel out of site
- slowly introduce hand and encourage bird to step up
- bring bird towards chest
- drap towel over and restrain head, body, and wings —> rest palm on the birds back, encircle bird’s neck with thumb and forefinger
What special considerations can be taken for handling smaller, flighted birds?
- can use one hand to support their back in the palm, use thumb and last 2 digits to cradle wings, an restrain head with second and third digits
- remove items from the enclosure and gently but firmly use a towel to secure the bird in the corner of the cage
How should Galliformes and Anseriformes be handled?
chickens and ducks
- firm grip around wings and neck +/- towel
- cover eyes or darken the room to calm the bird
- CAREFUL - males have spurs
- can have short bursts of flight and defecate often
How are passerines/columbiformes restrained?
hold bird in non-dominant hand with their head between index and middle fingers and the body resting on the palm
What 6 things make up a detailed history for avian patients?
- enclosure type, size, and location
- enrichment/enclosure furnishing
- other birds/animals in the house
- cleaning schedule
- flight capabilities
- diet/supplements
How is hydration determined in birds? What is not commonly assessed on ocular exams?
skin tent of eyelid
PLR - birds can control pupil size themselves
How should the cere appear? What may cause color changes?
smooth, dry, unform in color
neoplasia, hormone changes
What is occurring in this beak?
malocclusion - scissor beak, commonly due to trauma
How is the beak in this avian patient?
overgrowth of rhinotheca - bird may need enrichment/toys to wear it down on its own
How can the oral cavity of psittacines be safely observed? How is it assessed?
speculum
examine mouth, tongue, oropharynx, mucous membranes, and choana for debris, d/c, growths, or plaques
What are choanal papilla?
borders of the choanal slit —> should be uniform, pointed, and facing caudally
How should the crop normally palpate? What does it given information about?
- smooth, relatively thin-walled
- free of lumps, swelling, impaction, FB, and infection (can transilluminate to get an idea of what’s inside)
assesses if bird is eating well
What is the normal integument of birds like? How can feather picking and loss be differentiated?
moist, beige/pale pink
feather picking is commonly caused by boredom or arthritic pain and broken feathers will likely be observed
Where are ectoparasites most commonly found on birds? What other aspects to the integumentary system should be observed on exam?
under wings, vent, and legs (common in chickens)
- uropygial gland - at the base of the tail, common spot for neoplasia, impaction, and abscesses
- plantar feet - pododermatitis
What is commonly auscultated in avian patients?
HEART - ventral/dorsal aspect, common to have a fast rate with a steady rhythm in-hospital
LUNGS/AIR SACS - ventral and dorsal cervical region/thorax/coelom, observe rate/effort, no obvious sounds should be heard
How is the musculoskeletal system assessed in birds?
- observe the bird while it is standing
- observe wing position at rest
- extend and flex wings to assess joints and propotagium
- extend and flex pelvic limbs to assess joints and perching reflex
How is BCS assessed in birds? What are the 5 stages?
keel and pectoral musculature (common spot for GnRH implants, IM injections, and microchips)
- EMACIATED - keel is almost muscleless
- THIN - keel bone very palpable
- NORMAL - keel bone tip is barely palpable and bird is well-muschles
- OVERWEIGHT - keel bone is not palpable within excess muscle and fat
- OBESE - cleavage palpable between excessive muscle and fat, but keel is not palpable
Where is the coelom palpated? What is assessed?
small space just below keel - shouldn’t feel much
masses or fluid
How is the cloaca examined?
- observe for symmetry, function, and hygiene
- every circumferentially to assess for wounds, swelling, and masses
What are 3 examples of sexual dimorphism is avian species? What is commonly necessary to differentiate sexes?
- ECLECTUS PARROT - males have green heads and females have red heads
- COCKATIEL - females are more black/grey bars on tailfeathers, males have rosier cheeks
- PARAKEET - males have blue ceres, females have brown ceres
DNA samples through a feather pluck (scopes are invasive!)
What is commonly used for beak and nail trims in birds?
dremel - on an as needed basis, should be maintained with normal husbandry (enrichment!)
What feathers are trimmed on avian wings? How does it differ for a cosmetic trim? What should be avoided on trims?
primary remiges
only distal few (9, 10) are trimmed, so when the wings are tucked the feathers look intact —> smaller species may still be able to get lift!
blood feathers
How much blood can safely be collected from a bird?
1% (in grams) of BW
What do avian RBCs look like?
elliptical, nucleated —> CBC must be done manually
Label the WBCs seen on this blood smear.
- BLACK = heterophil
- BLUE = monocyte
- GREEN = thrombocyte
- ORANGE = eosinophil
- RED = lymphocyte
What tubes are used for CBC and chemistries in avian species? Why?
- CBC = purple or green
- CHEMISTRY = green, use avian/reptile rotors
EDTA can cause RBC lysis in crows, cranes, ostriches, and other species
What are 3 common sites for blood collection in birds?
- right jugular - R is larger than L
- cutaneous ulnar (basilic, wing)
- medial metatarsal - good for longer-legged birds
What fluids are most commonly used in birds? What is the most common way of administration? What is used in severe cases?
warmed standard crystalloids or colloids at 50 mL/kg/day (Normosol R, etc.)
SQ - 5-10 mL/kg per site most commonly in the inguinal web where the leg meets the body (be wary of air sacs)
IV and IO - catheters difficult to maintain, must be supervised
What bones are most commonly used for IO catheter placement?
proximal tibiotarsus or distal ulna —> pneumatic bones vary by species!
What are 3 common places for SQ fluid injection? Why must this be done especially carefully?
- inguinal web - good for larger volumes
- dorsal lumbosacral region
- propatagium
know air sac locations - U/S not helpful, birds have large amounts of air within their body
What is the most common place for IM injections in birds? What is commonly avoided?
pectoral muscles, next to the keel
quadriceps, thick, gluteal mucsles - birds have a renal portal system, muscle necrosis
What needs to be avoided when performing crop washes and gavaging?
glottis
- crop is to the right
- good for retrieving crop samples in cases of sour crop
What are the 3 most common bandages used for birds?
- figure 8 - immobilizes elbow distally
- modified figure 8 - involves shoulder and humerus to keep the entire wing immobile
- tape splint - good for tarsometatarsal fractures in small birds <100 g
What 3 landmarks are used for endoscopy and cannulation of caudal thoracic or abdominal air sacs? When is this most commonly performed?
- cranial muscles of the femur
- ventral to synsacrum
- caudal to the last rib
upper respiratory obstruction (commonly at the syrinx!)
How is euthanasia approached with birds? What medications are most commonly used?
- discuss process with owners and let them know the bird may vocalize/move following administration
- sedate/anesthetize first
IV or ICe Barbiturates (aim for liver in smaller birds) —> CAN’T DO INTRACARDIAC due to keel
How is fasting approached before surgery in birds?
- 2-4 hours in medium-sized birds
- 24 hours in raptors
- not recommended in birds <200 g
What is the purpose of pre-medicating avian patients before surgery? What combination is most commonly used?
facilitates handling and decreases anesthetic/analgesic drug requirements during the procedure
BZD + opioid —> Midazolam (IM or IN) + Butorphanol (IM) in psittacines or Hydromorphone in raptors
What type of pre-medication is not commonly performed in birds before a procedure?
parasympatholytics - increases viscosity of respiratory tract secretions —> obstruction of airway and ETT common
- Atropine
- Glycopyrrolate
What drugs are commonly used for induction in birds? What can high concentrations cause?
- Ketamine + BZD
- Ketamine + alpha-2 agonist
- Propofol - cardiopulmonary monitoring and ventilatory support important!
cardiopulmonary depression and prologned/violent recoveries
What inhalants can be used for avian species? Why are they used?
Isoflurane and Sevoflurane
- good for critical patients due to decreased irritation and rapid recovery
- rapid induction
- can rapidly change anesthetic plane
(face mask for shorter procedures, intubation for longer ones)
Why type of ETT is required in avian patients?
non-cuffed ETT —> have complete tracheal rings, so inflated cuffs can cause increased pressure and necrosis
What type of breathing circuit is preferred for avian patients? 2 reasons why?
non-rebreathing (Bain circuit)
- decreased resistance to breathing
- rapid response to changes in the vaporizer
What are 4 ways to assess anesthetic depth in avian patients?
- pelvic muscle tone
- withdrawal reflex
- palpebral reflex
- corneal reflex
(as each are diminished, the plane is deeper)
What are 5 ways of monitoring the cardiovascular system in avian patients?
- stethoscope
- esophageal probe
- Doppler over superficial ulnar or deep radial
- ECG
- BP - palpate medial ulnar or medial metatarsal, place direct catheter in brachial or carotid arteries
What position is required for avian surgical procedures? What should happen if the patient regurgitates?
lateral or dorsal recumbency - no pressure on keel!
slightly elevate head and neck
What can make respiratory monitoring harder in marine birds?
dive reflex - built to hold breath and will not be properly maintained by Iso/Sevo —> manual ventilation is indicated
What respiratory monitoring is recommended in avian patients?
- rate/character - ET obstruction causes increased effort
- capnograph
- pulse oximetry
- pilse ox
What is the normal body temperature in avian patients?
104-106 F
- thermal support is necessary
When is fluid therapy recommended in avian patients in surgery? What rate is recommended?
procedures longer than 20 mins
IV or IO - 10 mL/kg/hr
How should patients be handled in recovery?
keep restrained to keep wings from flapping, causing potential injury
What are 9 ways to recognize pain in avian patients?
- change in temperament
- decreased appetite
- lameness
- reduced mobility/perching
- lethargy
- over/under-grooming
- restlessness
- hunched body position
- increased HR/RR
What are 4 options for analgesics used for avian patients?
- OPIOIDS - kappa agonists may provide better pain relief compared to mu agonists (Butorphanol, Hydromorphone, Tramadol)
- NSAIDs - Meloxicam
- Gabapentin
- acupuncture
