Bird diseases Flashcards
Common nutritional diseases in caged birds (4)
- iodine deficiency
- vit A deficiency
- calcium deficiency
- obesity
Common respiratory diseases in caged birds (6)
- psittacosis/chlamydiosis/ornithosis
- aspergillosis
- air sacculitis
- teflon poisoning
- avocado poisoning
- asthma
Common digestive tract diseases in caged birds (11)
- candidiasis
- epithelial hyperkeratosis
- crop burns
- crop infection/’sour crop’
- trichomoniasis
- avian bornavirus
- megabacteriosis
- giardia
- roundworms
- pacheco’s disease
- salmonellosis
Common liver and kidney diseases in caged birds (3)
- liver disease
- gout
- kidney disease
Common skin diseases in caged birds (4)
- avian circovirus
- polyomavirus
- cnemidocoptes pili
- external parsites
Common endocrine disorders in caged birds
- diabetes mellitus
- hypothyroidism
- secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism
Heart disease in caged birds
not uncommon in older birds
normal HR 250+bpm
signs:
- reduced appetite
- reduced activity
- falling off perch in evenings
medication:
- ‘vivitonin’
- pimobendan/benazepril
- frusemide
Iodine deficiency in caged birds
Very common in budgerigars
Often presents as respiratory distress, caused by goitre pressing on trachea
Treat via supplemented seed, ‘pink block’ or Lugol’s iodine in the water
Vitamin A deficiency in caged birds
Assume it exists in all birds on an all-seed diet
Signs include
- Poor feathering
- Oculo-nasal discharge
- Swellings round eyes
- Blocked nostrils progressing to rhinoliths
- Abscesses on palate
-Renal failure
Remember vitamin A is responsible for the health and integrity of epithelia
Treatment
- Care with supplementation to avoid toxicity
- 10,000-20,000 iu per 300g as single injection
- Better to supplement by mouth, in food
- Improve diet
Most in-water supplements are of little value
Calcium deficiency in caged birds
May occur in any bird, especially if on a seed diet (parrot mix)
African greys are notable
□ Lassitude
□ Picking over painful joints
□ Tremors
□ Fits
Often (but not always) seen in quite young birds
The fitting African grey
- Control seizures/tremors with injectable calcium (Ca gluconate)
- Supplement
- Improve diet
- Install UVB lights
Persistent egg layers - especially cockatiels
- They keep laying to make up a clutch, but the owner keeps taking the eggs away
- Presents cachexic, collapsed and eggbound
Treat hypocalcaemia and cachexia and the egg will usually be passed - if not use oxytocin
Obesity in caged birds
Usually the result of a high-fat seed/sunflower/nut diet
Feeding of rich human foods
Atherosclerosis
Enlarged liver - hepatic lipidosis
Less space for air sacs and other internal organs
Often triggers feather picking
Change in faeces colour and consistency
Psittacosis/chlamydiosis/ornithosis in caged birds
Chlamydophila psittaci
respiratory or GI signs
zoonosis
spread in spores in dry faeces
isolate if suspected
treat with doxycycline for 45 days (or euthanise)
Aspergillosis in caged birds
One cause of ‘wheezing parrot’
Common in birds fed parrot mix and kept in dry environments
Diagnosis
- Radiography
- Endoscopy
- Aspergillus titre? - possibly
Plaques of fungal detritus may detach and obstruct an airway - causing severe respiratory distress or sudden death
Treatment not always effective
-Itraconazole, voriconazole etc.
F10 and Salbutamol nebulisation (1:250 dilution)
Air sacculitis in caged birds
Non-specific bacterial infection following
- Poor diet (hypovit A)
- Low RH
- Exposure to smoke (passive smoking)
Aspergillosis
- Fungal granulomata
Teflon poisoning in caged birds
New non-stick pans
- Respiratory signs
- Death in 45 minutes
Stain resistant new carpets and furnishings
- Ironing board covers
- Respiratory distress
About the only excuse for parenteral corticosteroids in birds
Avocado poisoning in caged birds
All parts are toxic - contain a natural antifungal (Persin)
Death occurs up to 12 hours after ingestion
Pulmonary congestion +/- s/c oedema
Diuretics and activated charcoal may help (if you see it alive)
Asthma in caged birds
Mainly seen in large macaws
Can use salbutamol nebulisation
Candidiasis in caged birds
Mainly in young hand-reared birds
Nystatin by mouth
Epithelial hyperkeratosis caged birds
Hypovitaminosis A
Crop burns in caged birds
Hand reared birds
Fed too-hot hand rearing mix
Crop infection/’sour crop’ in birds
Most often in poultry
Trichomoniasis in caged birds
Protozoan affects upper part of digestive tract - oesophagus and crop
- Inappetance and regurgitation
Transmitted to aviary birds (especially budgies) by wild birds (especially pigeons) - also a problem for wild birds
Often diphthetic lesions in mouth/oesohpagus
To prevent disease
- Hygiene important
- Use sanitiser in water supply e.g. Citrosan or cider vinegar
In birds of prey - ‘Frounce’
RTA owls often have trichomoniasis
Carnidazole/metronidazole to treat
Avian bornavirus (proventricular dilatation) in caged birds
‘Macaw wasting disease’
Proventricular dilatation disease (African Greys/Cockatoos)
‘Neuropathic gastric dilatation’
Immune reaction to the virus - neurological disease > GI disease
Often seen in very young birds
Signs
- Regurgitation
- Flaccid, non-emptying crop
- Passing undigested food
Weaned young birds start to ask to be fed again
Radiography - often reveals a dilated proventriculus
Definite diagnosis - biopsy
Viral dysautonomia
Often fatal
Highly contagious so good barrier nursing
Megabacteriosis in caged birds
Budgerigars
Large gram positive rods in faeces (sometime) or from mucosal scrape of proventriculus at post mortem
Regurgitation, diarrhoea, anorexia, pasty faeces
Diagnosis
- ‘megabacteria’ in faeces or mucosal scrape from proventriculus
- Large G-positive rods
Treatment
- Easily digestible food
- Acidify water
- Ketoconazole
- Amphotericin B
- Nystatin in canaries
Prognosis guarded
Giardia in caged birds
Normal inhabitant of GI tract of cockatiel
Not easy to identify even in fresh faeces - takes some experience
Causes diarrhoea and often pruritis
Seen in many species - often African species
Self trauma under wings and on belly
Fenbendazole and metronidazole
Fenbendazole potentially not well tolerated by cockatiels
Roundworms in caged birds
Normally only an issue for birds living in aviaries (or recently brought out of an aviary)
Particularly a problem for the ground feeding grass parakeets
Important to teach owners how to medicate accurately (care when egg laying/moult)
Pachecos disease in caged birds
Herpes virus
Acute GI signs/hepatitis, nervous signs
Mortality 80-90% in group
Treatment
- Disinfection
- ?acyclovir
Vaccine in US
Patagonian conure: often a reservoir for the virus
Salmonellosis in caged birds
Not uncommon, but serotypes are not usually pathogenic to man
Relevant anatomy of caged birds
crop is a sterile environment, should empty within 2-3hrs of meal
pair of caeca, caecal faeces passed separately to ordinary faeces
bird bile is green
Liver disease in caged birds
obese birds
signs: feather picking, green/yellow urates, dull
enlarged liver on x-ray
treatment: lactulose, milk thistle extract, supplements, dietary adjustment
biochem indicators: low TP/albumin, CK elevation, AST/ALT raised, GGT
Gout in caged birds
mostly budgies
deposition of uric acid crystals on joints and serosal surfaces
treatment: allopurinol, vit A, consider euthanasia
Kidney disease in caged birds
Often incidental finding
Nephritis - may affect perching, the clue is often feather picking round the vent
Other causes
- Excessive vitamin D3 intake
- Hypovitaminosis A
Avian circovirus in caged birds
Psittacine beak and feather dystrophy/disease
Affects integument
Young birds may die rapidly after infection
Older birds: discoloured feathers and their feather dust affects the younger birds (highly contagious)
Always ultimately fatal (young birds most susceptible)
Feathers in affected birds are often broken, and greasy looking
Horn of beaks and claws is often soft and crumbly; beak shiny
Affected birds often die to secondary bacterial or fungal infections
Polyomavirus (budgerigar fledgling disease) in caged birds
DD: PBFD
Nestlings
- Sudden death
- Deformed feathers
Spread through feather detritus
Immunity develops
Cnemidocoptes pili in caged birds
‘Scaly face’ and legs - mainly budgies, but can affect any species including poultry
Topical ivermectin in budgies
External parasites in caged birds
Red mite - only on host at night
Northern mite - obligate parasite, severe problem in birdrooms, will kill a whole nest of chicks
Control with general hygiene, anti-mite spray, ivermectin, fipronil
Diabetes mellitus in caged birds (treatment)
common in cockatiels
glipizide has some success for treatment
hypothyroidism in caged birds
budgies with inadequate iodine intake
Lead poisoning in caged birds
Lack of coordination - seizures
Blood test, check plasma calcium
?radiography/history
Start CaEDTA/Penacillamine before results get back
Zinc poisoning in caged birds
May be neurological or feather condition signs
Sources: new galvanised mesh
Wash mesh with weak acid
Chocolate poisoning in caged birds
Theobromine/caffeine
Treat as dog
Prognosis poor for dark chocolate
Avocado poisoning in caged birds
Pulmonary congestion/oedema
Treatment may help
If starting to develop congestion…? euthanase
Nicotine/passive smoke poisoning in caged birds
Respiratory signs - sinusitis/conjunctivitis
Predisposes to aspergillosis
Inhalation, or touch
Species specific drug sensitivities in caged birds
Metronidazole/dimetridazole
- budgies and cockatiels
Fenbendazole
- pigeons
Itraconazole
- african greys can only cope with 1/3 recommended dose
Neoplasia in caged birds
Internal tumours, soft tissue sarcomas, lymphoma
Pre-gland tumours
Papillomas
-probably viral
- recurrence after removal
Xanthomas
- yellow fat tumours
- can’t remove surgically
- if self traumatising then euthanise
Results of feeding parrot mix
- Fatty liver disease
- Hypovitaminosis A
- Hypocalcaemia
- Occlusion of arteries
- Poor feathering
- Hypovitaminosis E - muscle weakness
