Non-infectious Diseases of Companion birds Flashcards
What are sources for Lead poisoning in birds?
- Lead paint
- Curtain & fishing weights
- Solder
- Antique or imported cages
- Stained glass
- Foil from champagne bottles
- Lead batteries
What are sources for Zinc Toxicity in Birds?
- Galvanized materials
- washers, screws, nuts
- Snap fasteners
- Car keys
- Pennies
- New galvanized wire
- remove powder & other particulates
- Clean with mildly acidic solution (vinegar)
What are the clinical signs of heavy metal poisoning?
- Neurologic
- Gastrointestinal
- Liver Damage
- Anemia
How is lead poisoning diagnosed in birds?
- History of ingestion
- Radiographs
- Blood lead levels
How is lead poisoning in birds treated?
- Midazolam - control seizures
- Supportive care
- Chelation:
- Calcium EDTA - IM BID 5-7 days x2
- D-penicillamine PO SID/BID 21 days
- NOT as effective as calcium EDTA
- GI - lubricants & laxatives
What are non-infectious causes of liver disease in birds?
- multiple etiologies
- Acute
- infectious - Chlamydia
- Toxins
- Chronic
- Hepatic lipidosis
- Hepatic fibrosis
- Iron storage disease
- Neoplasia
What are the clinical signs of hepatic disease in birds?
- “sick bird” symptoms (non-specific)
- Feather discoloration
- Beak and nail overgrowth
- +/- palpable hepatic enlargement
- Biliverdinuria - (greenish discoloration of feces)
How is liver disease diagnosed in birds?
- History
- Clinical exam
- Clinical Pathology
- AST, CK, Bile acids
- Radiographs - hepatic silhouette
- Ultrasonography + liver aspiration
- Endoscopy & liver biopsy
- Chlamydophila testing
What are the causes of Coelomic distension
- Effusion
- X-ray generalized loss of detail
- Hepatomegaly
- X-ray enlarged hepatic sihouette
- Causes: liver enlargement, neoplasia
What are causes of Renal disease?
- Infection
- neoplasia
- toxins
What are the clinical signs of renal disease in birds?
- Non-specific
- +/- Polyuria
- Coelomic distension
- lameness
How is non-infectious renal disease of birds diagnosed?
- Clin path - ⇑ uric acid
- Radiology - renal enlargement?
- Endoscopy & renal biopsy
How is non-infectious renal disease of birds treated?
- Treat underlying cause
- supportive care
What is Gout?
- Uric acid builds up in blood and deposits crystals
- articular
- visceral
What is the etiology of gout in birds?
- renal disease
- excess dietary protein
What signs are seen with articular gout? how is it diagnosed?
- Signs:
- joint swelling
- lameness, decreased movement
- Diagnose:
- Aspirate - cytology
- white crystals with inflammatory cells
- Aspirate - cytology
How can either form of gout be diagnosed?
- Plasma uric acid levels ⇑
- Radiographs - +/- urate tophi or tissue mineralization
- Endoscopy/CT - most useful for visceral gout
What is the treatment for gout in birds?
- Intesive supportive care
- Dietary modification
- Allopurinol
- block the production of uric acid
What is the prognosis for gout in birds?
Poor
What non-infectious cardiovascular disease do birds suffer from?
- Endocardial disease
- Myocardial disease
- Pericardial disease
- cardiac arrhythmias
- Congenital disease
- Atherosclerosis - very common
- Ca and cholesterol deposition
What is the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in birds?
- excess Ca and Lipids in diet
- Ca and lipids deposes ⇢ stenosis
What are the common neoplasias in birds?
- Lipomas & xanthoma
- cockatiels, budgies
- Gonadal tumors
- Renal adenomas
- Adenocarcinomas
- Cloacal papilloma
How are avian neoplasia diagnosed?
- Cytology
- Histopathology
What is the treatment for avian neoplasia?
- Very few reports about pharmacology and radiation
- Birds are very sensitive to the toxic effects of both
What are some causes of feather destructive behavior?
- Multiple factors
- Rule out medical causes
- suboptimal living environment
- maladaptive behavior
- lifestyle in wild vs captivity
- Brain dysfunction
- malfunctional behavior
- Combination
