Exotic birds

Question 1

Chlamydophila psittaci

Answer 1

Parrot fever: highly contagious intracellular bacteria cause nasal/ocular discharge, infraorbital swelling, dyspnea, diarrhea in birds. Zoonosis – can cause severe pneumonia in humans. Treat with doxycycline for 45 days.

Question 2

Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease

Answer 2

Circovirus: feather loss + beak defects + immunosuppression eventually causing death. Characteristic inclusion bodies in skin and feathers.

Question 3

Proventricular Dilation Disease

Answer 3

Macaw wasting disease: Borna virus damages nerves to proventriculus, ventriculus and small intestine. Severely dilated thin wall of proventriculus visible radiographically.

Question 4

Pacheco’s Disease

Answer 4

Herpesvirus prevalent in aviaries: sudden death, diarrhea, green urates (liver damage), or respiratory signs.

Question 5

Polyomavirus

Answer 5

Budgie Fledgling Disease: high mortality in young birds with GI signs and feather abnormalities. Viral intranuclear inclusion bodies on histopathology.

Question 6

Trichomonas

Answer 6

Treat with metronidazole