Week Two: Avian Nursing Part 2 Flashcards
What are some things you need to think of when choosing a cage for your avian?
Size, bar thickness and spacing, separation from feces, perches, toys, location
Birds are the _____ most common small animal pet
Third
What are the two types of avians we have as pets?
Psittacines and Passeriformes
What are Psittacines? What are Passeriformes?
Parrots; Song birds
Approximately ___% of preseting disease problems in birds result from nutrition and husbandry.
85%
What should be taken during a history of a bird?
Species, gender, age, origin (breeder? rescue? grandma?), environment (what room?), diet, appetite, feces, cage mates, molting cycle, behavior, previous medical history
What are some things you need to consider when hospitalizing a bird?
Cages in separate room, visual barriers, disposable perches, cleanliness, temperature control (between 80-90F)
How should birds be transported?
Cage, carrier, or plastic animal carrier
Cage should not be cleaned, never unsecured, bring medication, vitamins, and sample of food.
What do you have to think about when tube feeding a bird?
Temperature of food, small amounts frequently, weigh bird one or two times per day
What should parrots diets consist of?
Primarily pelleted (80% of total diet), fresh dark greens and yellow vegetables (20% of total diet), fruits and seeds as treats
What do Budgerigars, cockatiels, and passerines diets consist of?
Up to 50% seed diets
What do Canaries and finches need in their diets?
Millet, hemp, sesame, and linseed
What do rare finch species need to eat?
Insects and fruit
What do Lories diets look like?
Fruits and nectar
Toucans, mynahs, and lories diets should be low in ____
Iron
What are some toxic foods for birds?
Chocolate, avocados, high salt, sugar, or caffeine, and peanuts
Wing clipping is for flight _____ not _____
Restriction not prevention
What do technicians use to trim beaks?
File or dremel tool, electrocautery in smaller species
When dealing with wound management in birds, you should avoid _____
Topical or parenteral steroids
What are some bandage techniques we use for birds?
Ball or snowshoe bandages for feet and figure-8 bandages for wings
How do we anesthetize birds?
Isoflurane gas with oxygen used in most cases, we use a mask or induction chamber to induce
Where are IM injections best accomplished on birds?
Pectoral muscle mass
Where is the recommended sight for IV drug treatment in birds?
Basilic vein (in the wing)
Most caged birds have gram-_____ organisms in their digestive tract?
Positive
What are cloacal swabs used for?
To determine bacterial flora of lower GI tract; useful for cytologic evaluations and looking for inflammatory cells
Used for: culture and sensitivity, Chlamydia psittaci, viral isolation
What type of cells are inflammatory cells?
White blood cells
Where are some venipuncture sites in birds?
Right jugular vein (recommended), basilica vein, medial metatarsal vein (not a good choice for large volumes)
What are some diagnostic procedures we perform on birds?
Laparoscopy, endoscopy, tracheal or air sac washes, biopsies, cytologic examinations, bone marrow aspirates
What are some diseases and health concerns in avians?
Chlamydophila psittaci, Polyomavirus, West Nile Virus, Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Heavy Metal Toxicosis, Hypocalcemia, Non-Stick Cookware Toxicosis, Egg Binding, Crop Burns
How is Chlamydophila psittaci transmissible?
Respiratory inhalation
Explain Polyomavirus
Mortality rate up to 41%, 12-48 hours of clinical symptoms (including depression, anorexia, regurgitation,diarrhea, SQ hemorrhage, dyspnea, polyuria), transmitted through secretions and excretions, no treatment available but SQ vaccine can prevent it
What species are susceptible to West Nile Virus?
Crows, jays, raptors, horses
Explain Aspergillosis
Most common agents include Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus
Hypovitaminosis A is suppressed, found in fungal spores from corn cob, wheat, or pine straw bedding
Infection in the trachea
Found in African grey parrots, macaws, and raptors
What is Candidiasis caused by and what are some clinical signs?
Candida albicans
Regurgiation, white plaques in oral cavity, crop contents have a yeasty smell
Explain Heavy Metal Toxicosis
Ingestion of lead or zing (fishing weights, bullets, paint, jewelry)
Clinical signs include depression, weakness, regurgitation, and neurologic signs
Treatment includes chelating agent and urination , lactulose
Explain Non-Stick Cookware Toxicosis
Teflon is not good for birds!
Pulmonary hemorrhage and death can occur
Bird will need fresh air and emergency steroids
Explain Egg Binding
Related to low calcium
Muscles are unable to move egg out of tract which causes pressure on kidneys
Food for birds should be cooler than _____F
105F
Total blood volume of a bird equals what?
Approx. 10% of body weight in grams
1,000 g macaw has how much blood?
100 g cockatiel has how much blood?
100 mL
10 mL
A safe blood draw volume of a bird is ___% of body weight in grams
1%
It is safe to draw ____mL of blood from a 1,000 g macaw. a 100 g cockatiel?
10 mL
1 mL
How do we assess dehydration in birds?
Vein refill time
Signs include depression, sunken eyes, cool toes
