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
