Birds

Question 1

What are the 3 phases that starved birds go through?

Answer 1

Phase 1. Food in the digestive tract and glycogen reserves are used
Phase 2. Lipids are metabolized (constant rate of body mass loss, steady plasma concentration of uric acid and b-hydroxybutyrate)
Phase 3. Protein is used as a substrate for glucose synthesis (protein breakdown generates citric acid intermediates; there is lower plasm concentration of b-hydrodybutyrate and increased uric acid increasing protein catabolism)

Duration of the phases vary widely (few hours to 5 months) depending on the size of the bird

Question 2

What changes in the metabolic rate during migration flights?

Answer 2

Energy expenditure may be more than 7x basic metabolic rate for 3-5 days
Storage of fat may double de body mass in some cases

Question 3

Which nutrients play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of hepatic lipidosis/fatty liver syndrome in birds?

Answer 3

Deficiencies of nutrients that are essential in lipid metabolism: Amino acids methionine and cysteine, and vit biotin

Question 4

Which diseases can lead to hypoproteinemia in birds?

Answer 4

Protein malnutrition, liver failure, GI and renal diseases,

Question 5

Which situations would lead to a decreased albumin/globular ratio?

Answer 5

Acute or chronic inflammatory conditions ( egg related peritonitis, chronic infectious disease -> aspergillosis, tuberculosis, psittacosis)

Question 6

What is the major end product of nitrogen Metabolism is birds?

Answer 6

Uric acid

Question 7

What hyperuricemia (high uric acid) can lead to?

Answer 7

Articular and visceral Gout (by the precipitation of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals in joints and vis eral surfaces

Question 8

What is gout? And when it happens?

Answer 8

Is a clinical sign of any severe renal function disorder.
It happens when birds receive too much protein, the surplus protein is catabolized and the N released converted to uric acid

Question 9

What plasma changes are associated to renal failure in birds?

Answer 9

Hyperkalemia
High uric acid (can be normal in the post Prandial of raptors)

Question 10

Why aren’t seeds-based diets considered complete and balanced for birds?

Answer 10

Seeds are poor in calcium, PO4, Na, Mn, Zn, Fe, I, Se
Unbalanced amino acids (rg. Low lysine, methionine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin and choline)
High in fat
Low in fat soluble vitamins

Question 11

Why seeds mixed with pellets (complete diet) should be avoided?

Answer 11

Bird rarely eat the pellets, they select only the seeds, making it not balanced

Question 12

What Deficiency of vit A can cause in birds?

Answer 12

Psittacines: Signs of keratinization on their mucous membranes, anorexia, poor conditioning, increased susceptibility to infection

Parrots: metaplasia of salivary glands

Cockatiels: reduced peak amplitude and power of vocalization

Night blindness

Question 13

Name dietary sources of vit A for birds

Answer 13

Raptors: liver and fat of vertebrate prey
Grains: corn
For Companion birds: orange, red and green vegetables to yolk, parsley,pumpkin, yellow squashes and sweet potato

Question 14

How to treat vit A Deficiency?

Answer 14

Better to provide it through carotenoid sources than giving vit A directly. This because the body can regulate the conversion from carotenoid to vit A to avoid excess (same signs as Deficiency)

Question 15

If you need to supplement Vit D to a bird, which form of Vit D should you supplement? Vit D2 or D3? And why?

Answer 15

Vit D3. Birds can not convert Vit D2 to D3 (like dogs and cats), instead, it would be excreted in the bile.

Question 16

Do all birds need to have Vit D supplemented in their diet?

Answer 16

No. Birds can normally synthesize Vit D3 (cholecalciferol) in their skin from cholesterol, but require an adequate amount of sunlight to do so. Most Companion birds do not have sufficient UV exposure and would need to have VitD supplemented

Question 17

What are clinical signs of Vit D Deficiency is hens?

Answer 17

Eggs with thin shells and osteomalacia with pathologic fractures

Question 18

What are the clinical signs of Vit D toxicity?

Answer 18

Is associated with increased mobilization of Ca: soft tissue mineralization.

Question 19

When are the Vit K requirements increased in birds?

Answer 19

With infection and with the presence of Vit k antagonists (dicumarols produced by molds from grains and long term exposure to antibiotics -> depletion of normal microbiota)

Question 20

Which symptoms can be caused by an Unbalanced N-6/n-3 ratio?

Answer 20

Unkempt appearance of the feathers, reduction of sheen, itchiness (feather chewing). Generally occur is birds fed seed-only diet (high n6/n3 ratio)

Question 21

Which amino acids are essential to birds?

Answer 21

The essential amino acids for birds are arginine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, and threonine.

however, for chickens glycine, histidine, and proline are also considered essential because their rates of synthesis are less than their metabolic needs.

Question 22

Which are the first and second limiting amino acids in poultry nutrition?

Answer 22

1st: Lysine
2nd: Methionine

Question 23

What should be palpated to determine BCS in birds?

Answer 23

Pectoral muscles. Palpation of the pectoral muscles and the underlying keel bone (sternum) is used to determine body condition in birds. The keel scoring system uses a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 representing very thin, 3 signifying an ideal body condition, and 5 indicating obesity.