Disease and conditions of the avian digestive system Flashcards

Question

Discuss what crop problems result in?

Answer 1

Problems result in: * Impairment of crop motility with delayed crop emptying and regurgitation. * Birds can quickly become listless, toxaemic, dehydrated and if untreated die. Examination: * The crop can be palpated when it is full of food, fluid, air or abnormal masses. Crop usually on the left hand side. * An enlarged crop with a dough-like consistency that fails to empty is suggestive of a crop impaction (or very severe candidiasis) * For diagnostic purposes, an ingluvial aspirate can be obtained by inserting a catheter and washing the mucosa with sterile isotonic saline solution.

Answer 2

Ingluvial Stasis and Dilatation -“Sour crop” * Is a clinical sign of disease, not a disease in itself. * Stinks of rotting cheese and sugar * Clinical signs include regurgitation, delayed crop emptying, a sour odour (due to stagnant fluid), inappetence, dehydration, anorexia and listlessness. * “Sour crop” is usually complicated by bacterial and or fungal infection that may be primary, but is more often secondary. * Crop stasis is most often seen in hand-reared chicks and results from poor management. * In adults, the condition can result from various crop infections, systemic or metabolic disease, heavy metal toxicity, foreign body ingestion impactions or even PDD.

Answer 3

Crop -Infections (primary and secondary) * Candida * Trichomoniasis (Budgies) * Nematodes Foreign bodies * Many items in young psittacines -Try and remove before exits to proventriculus * Surgery, endoscopic or magnetic removal * Long grass and sprouted grains in granivores * Removal by surgery (ingluviotomy). * If not too long standing do well * Fish hooks and nylon tackle

Answer 4

**Candidiasis (Candida albicans)** Wide range of birds especially * Raptors * Psittaciformes (prevalent in hand rearing) * Passeriformes stress related Diagnosis (low levels are considered normal) * Cytology stains * Faeces, crop wash, proventriculus Treatment and Control * Hygiene * Nystatin (100,000 iu/400g bid x 7) * Address underlying problems

Answer 5

Proventriculus and Ventriculus * varying clinical signs ranging from regurgitation, weight loss, appetite changes (either anorexia or polyphagia), undigested seed in the faeces and lethargy. * Most diseases of these organs produce similar clinical signs that make their identification more challenging. Infectious diseases * PDD * Megabacteria * Gizzard worms Non-infectious * Foreign bodies * almost anything including Pb shot and nails * Ratites, galliforms and waterfowl, (psittacines)

Answer 6

AKA: * PDS (syndrome), Macaw wasting disease, Neuropathic gastric dilation, Myenteric ganglio neuritis and encephalomyelitis * Progressive, invariably fatal condition Clinical signs (See previous flashcards) * Sudden death and neurological signs associated with encephalopathies in young psittacines Aetiology * Now shown (2008) to be associated with a Bornavirus. Infectious disease that can take many years to surface clinically. Diagnosis * Contrast radiography (see DDx) shows grossly dilated proventriculusas it has lost its nervous stimulation so cannot contract, Crop biopsy, PCR (available USA) Treatment * Euthanasia, Supportive nutrition (easily assimilated formulated diets), NSAID (Meloxicam, Celecoxib), +/-antibiotics antifungals

Answer 7

* Now called Avian Borna Virus * 2008 thought to be low morbidity high mortality disease…. * However since more ‘random’ tests have been done seems to be more high morbidity than originally thought and lower mortality * Consequently PCR +VE and clinical symptoms =aBV (PCR available worldwide) * PCR+ve and no clinical signs does not mean aBV(yet)

Answer 8

* **Heavy metal poisoning** * **Fungal infection of ventriculus or koilin mycosis** * **Nematode infection of the (pro)ventriculus** * **Megabacteria infection of the proventriculus** * **Gastric impaction** * **Pyloric obstruction by a foreign body** * **Ventriculus perforation by a foreign body** * Myoventricular dysgenesis * Proventricular foreign body * Koilin dysgenesis * Myoventricular calcinosis * Intestinal papillomatosis * Proventricular and ventricular neoplasia

Answer 9

Avian gastric yeast, Megabacteria * Pathogen or Commensal (probably both) * Wide host range * Spread –faecal and oral routes * Budgies –acute and chronic –flock problem * Chronic (High morbidity-lowish mortality) * appear to be hungry and spend considerable time at the food dish. Instead of eating, however, these birds are grinding their food but not ingesting it. * Regurgitation is common, and fresh or dried saliva is often found on the tops of affected birds’ heads. * Undigested seeds may be present in the droppings. * Diarrhoea with or without melaena may be present. * Prolonged period of weight loss (going light) where they appear unthrifty and eventually die.

Answer 10

Macrorhabdus ornithogaster Canaries and Finches * Less well defined * Weight loss and “going light” * Death - confirmed at PM Diagnosis * Gram +ve long straight narrow rods often in chains giving the appearance of a very long rod. * Either faeces or PM cytology preferential site proventricular/ventricular junction Treatment * Amphotericin B (100mg/kg by gavage bid for 30 days!!) * Control with F10 in water (anecdotal reports)

Answer 11

Enteritis and diarrhoea (not common) Causes – Many infections agents but * Bacteria –E.coli, Salmonella (pigeons), Clostridia * Viral –PMV (pigeons), Rota, Corona (Galliformchicks) * Worms –(Pigeons, Cockatiels, Parakeets) * Protozoa –Cocci (Pigeons, Galliformes, Passerines) Treatment –specific to cause * Identify cause * Grams +/-culture * Flotation * Virology * PM for flock problems (Galliformes, Finches)

Answer 12

**Cloaca (should be smooth moist)** Internal Papillomatous Disease-Papilloma virus Clinical Signs * Affected birds typically present with tenesmus, bloody droppings, malodorous faeces, flatulence and staining of the vent and tail feathers with urofaeces. * Irregular, cobblestone mucosal lesions seen in the psittacine proctodeum. (Crushed velvet –raspberry surface) * IPD is one of the most common cloacal masses seen in birds, particularly South American species. * Moderate to severe lesions may lead to partial proctodealobstruction. * Often associated with bile duct carcinoma

Answer 13

Diagnosis * Biopsy Treatment(s) –Suggested? * Sharp surgical excision, electrosurgery, silver nitrate cautery, cryosurgery, laser surgery and mucosal stripping. * A commercial pepper diet allowing regression, as long as birds were fed the diet, has been reported * Recurrences of the papillomasare common. Some lesions spontaneously regress but may recur

Answer 14

Cloacal Prolapses - are not uncommon in birds * Oviductal prolapse occurs in egg-laying females that strain excessively * Rectal prolapse * Coprodealprolapse –Male hand-reared bonded cockatoos/over bonking * Cloacoplexy

Answer 15

Symptoms * Often non-specific, and are generally not sufficiently diagnostic to establish a clinical diagnosis. * A green colouration of the urine and urate fractions in the excreta is a strong indication of liver disease.(Biliverdinuria) * Dyspnea is a common finding in birds with hepatomegaly or ascites. * Occasionally an enlarged liver can be palpated or visualised below the sternum through the transparent abdominal wall in the smaller Passeriformes. (Black spot) * Polydipsia and vomiting are sometimes associated with liver disease.

Answer 16

Liver -Diagnosis Because of the range of non-specific symptoms and the association with many diseases a full diagnostic work up should be considered. * faecal examination, * hematologic examination (PCV, WBC and differentiation, buffy coat for parasites), * total protein, plasma protein electrophoresis (A:G ratio), * AST, LDH, bile acids, GLDH -total body radiograph Are considered the ideal database for evaluating a sick bird.

Answer 17

Liver -Infectious diseases Bacteria * Mycobacterium * Chlamydiosis * Salmonella * Others Viruses * A wide range and number Protozoa * Atoxaplasmosis

Answer 18

Liver -Metabolic diseases * Haemochromatosis * Accumulation of iron in the liver * Ascites-respiratory signs * Most common in Sturnids and Rhamphastids * Mynahs, Starlings, Birds of Paradise, Toucans * Causes include: * Dietary iron levels; High levels of VitA, Stress * Prevention better than treatment (unrewarding) * Fatty infiltration –high fat diet –low vitamin intake * Psittaciformes * Amalyoidosis * Waterfowl, seabirds

Answer 19

Liver Treatment –based on cause however: Supportive care * Fluids * Lactulose; hemicellulose (detox) * Supportive diet (high protein) * i/m vits Antibiotics * doxycycline for Chlamydiosis Urates with biliverdinuria