Diseases and Conditions of the Avian Respiratory System Flashcards
1
Q
How do birds with acute respiratory disease tend to present?
A
- Dyspnoea with open mouth breathing
- Whole body effort in inspiration or expiration
- Exaggerated ‘tail bobbing’
- Acute change in vocalisation noise
- Wheeze, squeak, rasp, gurgle etc
- Glottis, trachea, syrinx
- Bottom of the cage and gasping
2
Q
How may birds with chronic respiratory disease present?
A
- Sinusitis (often with conjunctivitis)
- Soft swellings
- Hard ‘abscesses’
- Chronic airsaculitis
- Rhinitis – (nasal discharge)
- Oculanasal discharge
- Stained/matted feathers around the nares
- Sneezing
- Dyspnoea – (+/- above and weight loss)
3
Q
How should normal respiration in a bird appear?
A
- Should not be noticeable
- The mouth should remain closed
- An increase in abdominal effort or head movement may be recognised in association with increased respiration following exercise but this should return to normal within minutes of ceasing activity
4
Q
Why should you observe an avian patient from a distance first?
A
- Subtle changes in posture, wing position
- Respiratory rate and respiratory pattern that may indicate an abnormality (tail-bobbing)
5
Q
Signs of upper respiratory tract disease in birds?
A
- Change in voice
- Sneezing
- Periorbital swellings - Sinus swelling
- Rhinorrhoea
- Plugged nares - Nasal granuloma
- Exercise intolerance
- Head-shaking
- Mucopurulent nasal discharge
- Inflamed swollen cere
- Stretching the neck - Yawning
- Epiphora
- Open-mouthed breathing – Dyspnoea – but not stressful
6
Q
Signs of lower respiratory tract disease in birds?
A
- Dyspnoea – with distress
- Open-mouthed breathing
- Tail-bobbing
- Loss of voice
- Change in vocalization
- Laboured respiration
- Exercise intolerance
- Coughing
- Sounds on auscultation
- Depression
7
Q
What are the clinical signs of rhinitis?
A
- Unilateral or bilateral
- Occluded nares
- Rhinorrhoea – inflammatory exudate
- Mucous
- Purulent
- Sneezing +/- discharge
- A growth or change in size of the nasal opening
- Chronic inflammation - Rhinolith
- Knemidocoptes
- Crusted soiled feathers around the nares
- Grooves in the maxilla
8
Q
How would you diagnose rhinitis?
A
- Cytology of nasal discharge (flush)
- Culture and sensitivity of rostral choana
9
Q
What pathogens would you tend to find in swabs from the rostral choana/nares?
A
- Culture of nares yields mainly contaminates
- Normal choanal flora + Gm+ve
- Lacto, Streps, Staph epidermidis, Corynebact
- Potential pathogens = Gm –ve
- Staph aureus (inc MRSA), Staph spp, Fungus
- Special pathogens
- Chlamydophila, Mycoplasma
10
Q
How would you treat rhinitis?
A
- Parental antibiotics (C&S)
- Nasal flushes and intranasal antibiotics
- Nebulisation
11
Q
What are the clinical signs of sinusitis?
A
- Periocular swelling and reddening
- Distended sinus may soft, tense or firm
- +/- nasal discharge
- Sunken eye – chronic sinusitis in macaws
- Chronic problems in Amazons and Af Greys
12
Q
What are the causes of sinusitis?
A
- Same organisms as with rhinitis
- Hypovitaminosis A
- Hyperkeratosis
- Squamous metaplasia
13
Q
How would you diagnose sinusitis?
A
- Appropriate wash
- Culture and sensitivity
14
Q
How would you treat sinusitis?
A
- Isolate any causative organisms and treat accordingly
- Sinus flush
- Surgical removal of ‘abscesses’
- Correct the underlying malnutrition
- Look at environmental humidity (S Am species)
15
Q
How is the trachea different in avian species?
A
- The trachea consists of complete cartilaginous rings in most avian species
- The tracheal rings can calcify with age
- The anterior trachea can be wider than the lower trachea (Macaw)
- The length, configuration and anatomic position of the trachea vary widely
16
Q
What diseases might affect the glottis, trachea and syrinx?
A
- Fungal - Aspergillosis
- Bacterial - Chlamydophila
- Parasitic
- Syngamus trachea (gape worms) – See Parasite notes
- Sternostoma tracheacolum
- Viral
- Amazon tracheitis virus
- Pox
- Herpes
- Malnutrition
- Granuloma
- Metaplasia
- Fumes and toxins
- Acute obstruction
17
Q
What diagnostics would you use for diseases affecting the trachea, glottis and syrinx?
A
- Tracheal wash
- Auscultation
- Endoscopy
- Transillumination (tracheal mites)
18
Q
How would you treat diseases of the trachea, glottis and syrinx?
A
- Nebulisation
- Ivermetin (mites and worms)
- Fenbendazol (worms)
- For obstruction – placement of an air sac tube
19
Q
What changes in the air sacs may indicate disease?
A
- All air sacs are thin-walled and lack vascularity.
- The air sacs of a normal bird are completely transparent (appear similar to clear plastic wrap)
- Any alteration in transparency should be considered abnormal (Endoscopy)
- The presence of blood vessels in the air sacs may be an indication of early inflammation
20
Q
How useful is ascultation in air sac disease?
A
- The sinuses, trachea, lung, thoracic air sacs and abdominal air sacs can be auscultated using a paediatric stethoscope
- Audible sounds on inspiration generally correlate with upper respiratory tract disease
- While sounds on expiration are more commonly associated with lower respiratory tract diseases
21
Q
What diagnostic techniques can be used for disease in the air sacs or lungs?
A
- Ascultation
- Endoscopy
- Laparoscopic – biopsy, surgical removal
- Tracheal – wash/biopsy
- Radiography
- Blood profile
- Culture and Cytology
- Sinus wash
- Choanal swab
- Tracheal wash
- Endoscopic sample
22
Q
What are the primary sites of Aspergillosis?
A
- Skin
- Beak and sinus
- Respiratory system
- Peracute allergic
- Acute
- Chronic granuloma formation
23
Q
How would you diagnose Aspergillosis?
A
- CBC – Marked leucocytosis ( can be 100,000)
- Radiography
- Endoscopy
- Serology?
- (Post mortem)
24
Q
How would you treat Aspergillosis?
A
- Antifungals
- Itraconizole; Amphotericin B
- Nebulisation
- Antifungals/F10
- Supportive treatment
- Surgical removal
- Nutrition and immune stimulants
25
Symptoms of mycoplasma?
* Rhinitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis
* Bubbles in conjunctiva
* Mucopurulent sinus swellings
* Dyspnoea
26
Diagnosis and treatment of mycoplasma?
* Diagnosis
* Culture not easy as mycoplasma spp unstable
* Treatment
* Oral abs
* Eye ointment
* Sinus flushing
27
What is the source and presentation of teflon poisoning?
* Presenting signs
* DEAD birds
* Acute respiratory dyspnoea
* Source
* Overheated pans and some heat lamps
28
How would you treat teflon poisoning?
* Oxygen
* Bronchial dilators by nebulisation
* ?Dexamethasone?
29
How would you stabilise the dyspnoeic bird?
* Oxygen therapy
* Fluids (Intraosseous)
* For obstructive dyspnoea restoration of a patent airway (air sac tube)
* For asthmas nebulisation - bronchial dilators – clenbuterol
30
How would you carry out a nasal flush?
* Sterility important
* Warm saline (39C)
* 10ml -35ml syringe
* Wrap bird in towel head pointing down
* Flush each sinus
* Collect fluid as it appears from hard palate
* Centrifuge – cytology and culture
* Treat with appropriate medication – 2x daily for 10 days +/- . Leave 4 days post treatment re-culture
31
How would you carry out a sinus flush?
* Similar protocol to nasal flush
* Insert needle into infraorbital sinus between nares and eye
* Insert small amount of fluid
* Ensure that the globe of the eye does not bulge!!
* Slowly insert more fluid and complete wash/treatment
32
When is an air sac tube indicted?
* As an immediate ‘life-saving’ procedure
* To relieve acute obstructive dyspnoea
* NOT for restrictive respiration (1st consideration O2/Centisis)
* To allow tracheal/oral surgery (FB removal)
33
What is the most common cause of subcutaneous emphysema?
Due to damage to any air sac system but most common with damage to the cervicocephalic, abdominal or caudal thoracic air sacs
