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Bird Exams

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Sondra
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« on: September 02, 2014, 11:28:58 am »

Make sure you use an Avian Vet.

The most commonly recommended basic tests and exams are as follows:
1) Physical examination
2) Fecal Parasite Check and examination of droppings
3) Fecal and Choanal Gram Stains
4) Chlamydia Testing
5) Polyoma Virus Testing
6) Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Testing
7) Complete Blood Count

Blood chemistries (i.e., ALT) and total serum proteins are also occasionally run at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. If abnormalities are found in the above data base, further diagnostics such as complete chemistry panel, culture and sensitivities, urinalysis, and radiographs may also be performed.


Well Bird Exam


The well bird exam is used to confirm that the bird is free of any problems. It is impossible to guarantee that a bird is free of all diseases possible, but it is used to determine that the bird is displaying no detectable physical or physiological evidence of disease and is in reasonable good health. The basic well bird exam consists of the following:
1) Physical examination
2) Choanal and Fecal Gram Stain
3) Fecal parasite check

Other ancillary tests may be performed at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. Such as a Complete Blood Count, Serum Chemistries, Cultures, etc.

Reasons for different examinations and some of their uses:
1) Physical Exam - The physical exam is used to guide the veterinarian to any part of the bird that may be diseased, injured, malformed or malfunctioning. This is an extensive thorough procedure that can detect a wide array of diseases and conditions in multiple body systems.

2) Fecal Parasite Check - The fecal parasite check is used to rule out infestation with intestinal parasites such as worms, coccidia and giardia.

3) Examination of Droppings - Since the droppings are a combination of urine and feces they serve as an indicator of both gastrointestinal and renal health.

4) Gram Stains - The Gram stain is used to detect gram-negative bacteria and yeast. A vast number of birds are either ill because of gram-negative bacteria or have become immunocompromised from other disease processes and have become invaded by opportunistic organisms such as yeast or gram- negative bacteria. Identification of such infections aids treatment and recovery of the patient.

5) Complete Blood Count (CBC) - The complete blood count is a sensitive indicator of the general health of any animal. The parameters routinely examined include a total and differential white cell count (WBC), hematacrit, red cell characteristics (RBC), Thrombocyte count, plasma characteristics and the presence or absence of blood parasites. Changes in many of these parameters are indicative of many different disease processes and are often noted before any other sign of disease is present.

6) Chlamydia Testing - Testing for Chlamydia psittaci is used to determine if the avian patients may be a carrier of 'psittacosis', 'ornithoris', or 'parrot fever', a disease that can be spread from bird to bird and bird to man. This is a treatable condition.

7) Polyomavirus Testing - Polyomavirus causes budgerigar fledgling disease (BFD) and can cause high mortality in aviary conditions amongst young birds. Birds with this virus should not be exposed to other birds or bred at all and often have a greatly shortened life span. There is no effective treatment for this disease at this time.

8) Psittacine Beak & Feather Disease - Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) is a virus that can affect many organ systems at many stages in a birds life. This disease can cause acute death, dystrophic malformed feathers, immunosuppression and oral lesions. Birds with this disease usually have a greatly shortened life span and should not be bred or exposed to other birds. There is no effective treatment of this disease at this time.

The information on the New & Well Bird Exams was provided by Shannon McGee, DVM at Collierville Animal Clinic, Collierville, TN through Wanda Elder


This is from Avian Web. It's a great source however I won't link to it for it has a lot about buying and breeding but do want to give credit where credit is due.

MORE:

Full physical examination by an EXPERIENCED avian vet, including body weight measurement (in grams).
Fecal wet mount exam on a very fresh sample (to screen for parasites and Avian Gastric Yeast (aka megabacteria))
Fecal Gram stain
Bloodwork - CBC (Complete Blood Count) and plasma biochemistry profile, including bile acids measurement
Screening for psittacosis (DNA PCR, blood titer)

If a large parrot, and the budget spares no expense -
Screening for polyomavirus and circovirus (PBFD)
Survey whole body radiographs (X-rays) - to look for evidence of PDD, mostly. (That being said, there is not yet a no-fail test for PDD)

If finances are an issue, then I would AT LEAST do the exam, fecal wet mount (cheap), Gram stain (also cheap) and screening for psittacosis (contagious to other birds and people). That being said, because of some chronic illness of which there is no good test (eg. PDD - great example), even after all this testing I never guarantee that a bird is completely free of all contagious and infectious diseases. Right now there is just no good way to do this.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2014, 11:30:58 am by Sondra » Report Spam   Logged

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Sapphire
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« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2014, 02:41:44 pm »

Thank you for posting this, Sondra  thumb
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« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2014, 07:33:26 pm »

This is great [im copying it]
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