VN May 2023

Vetnews | Mei 2023 33 The Sick Bird –What Do I Do? Dr Coetzee de Beer Although obtaining an accurate diagnosis and applying appropriate treatment are essential to avian medicine, the clinician must not overlook the importance of supportive care. It is usually far better to have a tentative diagnosis in a live patient than a confirmed diagnosis in a dead one! When the masking phenomenon, hiding signs of illness until the bird is decompensating, is combined with an owner’s approach of ‘waiting a few days to see if he gets better’, the result is often a patient that is presented badly dehydrated, in hypothermic shock and in a catabolic state due to anorexia. Occasionally some birds will present with severe respiratory compromise, either acute or chronic in onset. In some cases, especially trauma, the patient may be in pain or have experienced significant blood loss. The clinician must recognise the clinical signs of these conditions and deal with them aggressively, often before attempting to reach a diagnosis. Dehydration Clinical signs  Sunken eyes  Strands of mucoid saliva are present in the mouth when the beak is opened  Decreased capillary refill, seen by pressing on the basilic vein (medial side of the elbow) and assessing refill time  Wrinkling and/or tenting of the skin on the toes and torso  Decreased urinary output; urates appear thick and pasty Treatment  Fluid therapy via the following routes: o Oral – if the bird is not moribund or vomiting o Sub-cutaneously – if the bird is not in shock, hypothermic, hypoproteinaemic or has poor circulation o Intravenous or intra-osseous – can be difficult to maintain for extended periods in an alert, active patient  The volume to be given can be simply calculated as follows: o 10% of the bird’s body weight in grams = the volume (in ml) to be given daily for three days o then reduce to 5% - 7.5% daily o Increase this amount if there are ongoing fluid losses, e.g. diarrhoea, polyuria o Divide the total daily requirement into 2 – 3 doses. Example fluid plan: The patient is an 880g cockatoo, assessed as 10% dehydrated 10% of body weight (expressed inml) = 88mls. This is the amount to be given per day for three days. Divide into three doses; therefore, give the bird 30ml fluids every 8 hours for three days. After three days, reduce the dose to 5% bodyweight = 44mls/day – give 20-25mls twice daily This fluid can be given intravenously, subcutaneously, or orally. Hypothermic Shock Clinical signs  Feather fluffed to trap body heat  Lethargic and sleeping a lot to conserve energy  Unable to remain on the perch and often found on the floor of the cage Treatment  Provide exogenous heat by placing the bird in a heated cage or by placing a reading light (with bulb, not tube) beside the cage, preferably next to a perch. Ideally, birds would be hospitalised in a heated room.  Raise ambient temperature around the bird to 30oC – 32oC  Monitor for signs of heat stress – panting, wings held away from the body.  Covering a cage with a towel or blanket does not help to keep a bird warm. Catabolism Clinical signs  Food untouched in dishes  Droppings reduced in size and quantity; faeces often dark (or even black)  Urates small and sometimes yellow  Wasting of pectoral muscles  Weight loss (all patients should be weighed on every visit so that a record of their normal weight is maintained in their records) Treatment  Placing food and water bowls in easily accessible places and offering favourite foods can encourage an ill patient to start eating. Placing food in a dish on the cage floor for a perching patient (and reluctant to leave the perch) will not encourage appetite. The food bowls may need to be placed adjacent to the perch where the bird can easily reach them. Technical I Article >>> 34