Bird husbandry, Anesthesia, blood collection, and special procedures, Flashcards
Avian enclosures should be what?
Spacious
Minimum size would allow the bird to spread its wings without touching the sides of the cage
Avian housing should be ____ than ____
Wider than taller
Why is galvanized metals not ideal for material for cages?
Because it contains zinc and can be toxic if indigested
What substrates are inexpensive, safe and do not promote growth of pathogens?
Newspaper or paper towels
Where should the avian enclosure be located in the house?
A draft-free area
Out of direct sunlight
Where the family routinely congregates
What is the ideal environmental temperature range?
61 and 81 degree F
What is the ideal humidity level range for birds?
30% to 70%
What helps decrease the potential for bumblefoot?
Varying sizes, textures and irregularly shaped perches decrease the pressure placed on any one point of the foot
Pellets should comprise what percentage of the diet and fresh fruits and veggies comprise what percentage?
Pellets = 70%
Fresh fruits and veggies = 30%
What nutritional supplement should also be available for birds?
Calcium source (Cuttlefish bone or calcium block)
What human foods may be toxic to birds because they are too high in salts and sugars?
Chocolate
Avacado
What diet causes health problems due to deficiencies and imbalances?
All-seed diets
What are options for identification in birds?
Computer chip
Leg band
What may be used for radiographs or microchip implantation or in situations where both hands may be needed to perform complicated tasks?
Restraint board
What is a great way to restrain macaws or other birds that have fragile facial skin that bruises easily with traditional restraint methods?
Elizabethan hold
What do the droppings look like when a bird is stressed or excited?
May be mostly urine
What do the droppings of seedeaters look like?
Drier droppings
What does the urine or urates look like?
Urine is clear and the urates can appear white to pale tan
What are infections are presented as proliferative growths on the beak and feet?
Knemidokoptes spp
What is a good indicator of overall health?
Feather condition
What are sometimes found that represent a period of malnutrition or stress while the feathers were developing?
Stress bars
What do stress bars look like?
Symmetrical and segmental malformations in the barbs and barbules
Some species of birds are sexually dimorphic, but the majority of species, males and females look identical. How do you determine sex?
Endoscope or DNA testing
What are technician tasks for birds?
Beak trimming
Wing trimming
Nail trimming
In what species are overgrowth of beaks common?
Psittacine
What are possible causes of beak trimming?
Malocclusion or liver disease
How do you restrain a bird for a beak trimming?
Bird is restrained in upright position
Person trimming holds beak closed with one hand and applies the Dremel with the other
What does wing trimming decrease the ability of?
Flying
Which feathers should be trimmed and which feathers should not be trimmed?
Selectively trim some of the primary and secondary feathers.
Always trim symmetrically for balance
Never trim a blood feather
What SQ injection site is preferred in birds?
Inguinal region