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Y4 - Small Animals > Avian medicine > Flashcards

Avian medicine Flashcards

1
Q

What are general concepts of avian medicine?

A
  • Birds tend to hide signs of feeling unwell
  • Clinical signs of disease can be non-specific
  • Frequently brought in for consults in advanced / severe stage of disease
  • Can suddenly become critical patients
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2
Q

What should a bird consult be?

A
  • Detailed history - in escape free room
  • Check for dyspnoea, demeanor, trauma/bleeding before handling
  • Sedation?
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3
Q

What are nutrition related problems?

A
  • Hypovitaminosis A - Psittacines (epithelial metaplasia)
  • Hypocalcaemia + MBD
  • Obesity
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4
Q

What are main signs of hypovitaminosis A?

A

◦ Choana papillae atrophy
◦ Swellings around eyes and throat – sterile abscesses/debris
◦ Blepharitis, keratoconjunctivitis
◦ Pseudo membranes on oral cavity
◦ Generally poor feather/skin quality

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5
Q

Dx of hypovitaminosis A? Tx?

A
  • Dx = History + CS, FNA to rule out other pathologies
  • Tx = correcting diet, oral supplements, vitamin A, eye lubricant
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6
Q

What are risk factors for hypocalcaemia? what can it lead to?

A

◦ Seed-based diets (sp. sunflower)
◦ Lack of calcium or Vit. D3 on diet
◦ Inadequate Ca:Pho ratio on diet
◦ Lack of UV-B exposure

  • Nutritional 2ary hyperparathyroidism
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7
Q

What are clinical presentation of hypocalcaemia?

A

◦ “falling from their perch”
◦ “screaming and flapping in the bottom of cage”
◦ “Seizuring”
On clinical exam =
◦ Generalized weakness
◦ Quiet, dull
◦ Ataxia
◦ Seizures
◦ Post-ictal phase
◦ Paresis/paralysis

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8
Q

How would you manage a seizuring parrot?

A
  1. Midazolam IM
  2. Placement in a padded incubator with supplemental O2
  3. Calcium Gluconate IM
  4. Once stable, consider blood collection. Overstimulation can trigger another seizure episode.
    ◦ Calcium (ideally ionized Calcium), Phosphorus, Albumin, Magnesium
    ◦ Full biochem + haematology as other disease possible
  5. Start supportive care: fluids, supplemental feeding
  6. Switch to oral Calcium Gluconate as soon as the patient is stable
  7. Correct diet and husbandry (including UV-B exposure)
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9
Q

What are other presentations of hypocalcaemia?

A
  • Subclinical Hypocalcemia
  • Birds with non-specific signs of illness
  • Some feather plucking birds
  • Nutritional osteodystrophy
  • “rickets” – abnormal bone curvatures
  • Young, growing birds of any species
  • Dystocia in egg-laying birds
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10
Q

What are main causes of obesity in birds?

A
  • Diet
  • Lack of exercises - small cages
  • Boredom and lack of environmental enrichment
  • Thyroid function - goitre linked to SC lipoma formation
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11
Q

What are 2ary problems linked to obesity?

A
  • Hepatopathies - hepatic lipidosis
  • Atherosclerosis + heart disease
  • Pododermatitis / bumblefoot
  • Xanthomatosis
  • Lipomas
  • Reproductive failure
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12
Q

What are common dermatological conditions in birds?

A
  • External parasites
  • Blood feathers
  • Pododermatitis / bumblefoot
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13
Q

How can you asses a birds skin and plumage?

A
  • Colour pattern, feather quality, areas of alopecia, moult, signs of pruritus
  • Beak
  • Eyelids
  • Feet, legs + nails
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14
Q

What are external parasites of birds? Tx?

A
  • Feather lice
  • Feather mites
  • Blood-sucking mites - dermanyssus, ornithonyssus = anaemia + skin irritation
  • Tx = pyrethrin sprays / fipronil
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15
Q

What can blood sucking mites be a disease vector for?

A
  • Paramyxovirus
  • E. coli
  • Pasteurella spp
  • Salmonella
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16
Q

What areas of the body does knemidocoptes affect? How is it treated?

A
  • Affects un-feathered areas of skin = legs, beak + eyelids
  • Tx = ivermectin
17
Q

How would you approach broken blood feathers? What feathers tend to be more severe?

A
  • More severe in wing / tail feathers
  • Apply pressure on feather
  • Don’t apply silver nitrate - damage to follicle
  • Analgesia
  • Remove feather as last resort
18
Q

What species are at risk of bumblefoot / pododermatitis? What are the risk factors?

A

Species at risk:
◦ Birds of prey
◦ Ducks and waterfowl
◦ Parrots

Risk factors:
◦ Overweight/obesity
◦ Inappropriate perches
◦ Hard flooring
◦ Hypovitaminosis A
◦ Skin trauma
◦ Vascular disease

19
Q

How would you treat pododermatitis?

A
  • Husbandry management
  • Reduce weight/increase exercise
  • Improve perches and flooring
  • Improve hygiene
  • Dressings to relieve pressure from affected areas
  • Medication =
  • Meloxicam +/- additional analgesia
  • Antibiotics – ideally dependent on c&s
  • Local treatment – antiseptics, skin soothing agents
  • Surgery – severe cases. Radiograph first
20
Q

What are main presentations of respiratory disease in birds?

A
  1. URT infection/sinusitis
  2. Tracheitis
  3. Pneumonia
  4. Airsaculitis
21
Q

How would you treat sinusitis / URT infections?

A
  • Antibiotics - with C&S results
  • doxycycline / fluoroquinolones PO
  • NAIDs - meloxicam
  • GA + lancing + draining peri-orbital sinuses
22
Q

What are common problems with the trachea?

A

◦ Gapeworm (Syngamus trachea) in poultry
◦ Other parasites possible = Sternostoma mites in canaries
◦ Foreign bodies
◦ Granulomas (e.g. Aspergillus)
◦ Bacterial/viral infections

23
Q

What are disorders affecting the lungs? Tx?

A
  • Teflon toxicosis
  • Infections
  • Tx = terbutaline IM + Supportive care
24
Q

What are 1ary + 2ary disorders affecting the airsacs?

A

Primary problems =
◦ Bacterial/viral infections
◦ Fungal infections – Aspergilosis
◦ Some Nematode worms (Serratospiculum)
◦ Air sac mites (Cytodites sp)

Secondary problems =
◦ Coelomic masses/organ enlargement
◦ Coelomic effusion
◦ Adhesions

25
Q

Dx + Tx of airsac problems?

A
  • Dx = sedation + x-ray, GA + coelioscopy, Bloods
  • Tx = depends on cause =
    ◦ Antibiotics/Antifungals
    ◦ NSAIDs
    ◦ Oxygen supplementation
    ◦ Nebulization treatments – hypertonic saline, ABs, Antifungals, etc
    ◦ General supportive care
26
Q

What is aspergillosis? What are risk factors?

A
  • Infectious agent causing granuloma + toxin production
  • Risk factors = Hypovitaminosis A, Immunosuppression
27
Q

Dx + Tx of aspergillosis?

A
  • Dx =
  • some lesions visible (nasal),
  • Bloods - anaemia, leucocytosis, increased AST, TP, glob
  • radiographs
  • endoscopy of air sacs
  • Tx = Itraconazole / fluconazole
  • Amphotericin B
  • surgical debridement
28
Q

What are CS of chlamydiosis (chlamydophilia psittaci)?

A

◦ Conjunctivitis/rhinitis
◦ Airsaculitis/lower respiratory infection
◦ Diarrhaea
◦ Emaciation/low BCS
◦ Biliverdinuria

29
Q

Dx + Tx of chlamydiosis?

A
  • Dx = bloods (leucocytosis+heterophilia, anaemia + hyperglobulinaemia, Increased AST + uric acid)
  • PCR - swab of conjunctival sac > choana > cloaca
  • Tx = Doxycycline - 45 days + supportice care
30
Q

What would be approach to birds with regurgitation?

A
  • Vomiting uncommon
  • Full clinical exam - examine crop + head feathers closely
  • Locate problem
  • Initial supportive care
31
Q

How would you approach a bird with diarrhoea?

A
  • Full clinical exam - examine weight + BCS, hydration status + feathers around cloaca closely
  • Initial supportive care
32
Q
A

Y4 - Small Animals (105 decks)

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