Common Avian Diseases
"Why Doc, I don't know what's wrong with Sunny. Yesterday he was fine and today he's sitting at the bottom of his cage fluffed."
Unfortunately, this is a common way birds are presented to us in the clinic. Because birds are prey animals, they tend to hide any symptoms or pain until the very last possible moment. In the wild, individual birds who show evidence of disease will be the first to succumb to predators, which is why our pet birds do not give us any clues that they are sick until they are seriously ill. Even the most astute owners may not notice early symptoms of disease, which can include anything from a drop in appetite (even though the birds will still act like they are eating, they will mostly toss uneaten pellets or seeds to the ground, thus giving the impression of eating) to decreased talking/singing, a slight change in the look of the droppings, and many other similar subtleties that often go overlooked.
Here we will try to give you a good idea of a few of the common diseases that affect our pet birds, and some symptoms that mean a trip to the emergency vet is warranted! We will also discuss some diagnostic tests that avian veterinarians will commonly recommend and why they are important.
Unfortunately, this is a common way birds are presented to us in the clinic. Because birds are prey animals, they tend to hide any symptoms or pain until the very last possible moment. In the wild, individual birds who show evidence of disease will be the first to succumb to predators, which is why our pet birds do not give us any clues that they are sick until they are seriously ill. Even the most astute owners may not notice early symptoms of disease, which can include anything from a drop in appetite (even though the birds will still act like they are eating, they will mostly toss uneaten pellets or seeds to the ground, thus giving the impression of eating) to decreased talking/singing, a slight change in the look of the droppings, and many other similar subtleties that often go overlooked.
Here we will try to give you a good idea of a few of the common diseases that affect our pet birds, and some symptoms that mean a trip to the emergency vet is warranted! We will also discuss some diagnostic tests that avian veterinarians will commonly recommend and why they are important.
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs)
Far and away, this is one of the most common disease processes we see in practice. Most of these URTIs occur in newly purchased or adopted birds, or birds that are on solely seed-based diets. The seed-based diets are poor in Vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin to eye, respiratory and immune health. If your bird is Vitamin A deficient for a prolonged period, there are microscopic changes that occur in the tissues that line the respiratory tract that make these birds more prone to chronic URTIs.
Symptoms of URTIs include: conjunctivitis (red, swollen eyelids), eye discharge that can range from clear to white or yellow/green, sneezing, reddened nostrils, and your bird may be fluffed up and depressed. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear the infection. These can be in the form of oral medications, eye drops or nasal drops, or a combination of the above. Getting the bird off of a strictly seed diet and onto a predominantly pelleted diet with healthy vegetables and fruits will greatly improve the immune system and overall health of any bird. For newly acquired birds especially, I always recommend a Chlamydophila psittaci test. This is one bacterial cause of URTIs in birds that can be quickly spread among the birds in a house, can affect people, and can ultimately be fatal as it affects other organs such as the liver. If antibiotics do not resolve the initial URTI, often times a conjunctival scraping (tissue sample from inside the eyelids) is required to see what type of organism is causing the disease and to guide future antibiotic therapy.
Symptoms of URTIs include: conjunctivitis (red, swollen eyelids), eye discharge that can range from clear to white or yellow/green, sneezing, reddened nostrils, and your bird may be fluffed up and depressed. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear the infection. These can be in the form of oral medications, eye drops or nasal drops, or a combination of the above. Getting the bird off of a strictly seed diet and onto a predominantly pelleted diet with healthy vegetables and fruits will greatly improve the immune system and overall health of any bird. For newly acquired birds especially, I always recommend a Chlamydophila psittaci test. This is one bacterial cause of URTIs in birds that can be quickly spread among the birds in a house, can affect people, and can ultimately be fatal as it affects other organs such as the liver. If antibiotics do not resolve the initial URTI, often times a conjunctival scraping (tissue sample from inside the eyelids) is required to see what type of organism is causing the disease and to guide future antibiotic therapy.
Obesity
Many pet birds are overweight. This is due to a combination of factors, including diets that are high in seeds and nuts, decreased exercise compared to their wild counterparts (via the inability to fly from having clipped wings), and some species (Amazon and Quaker parrots) are genetically more prone to developing a weight problem. Just as in people, obesity in pet birds can lead to a slew of problems. Atherosclerosis, or fatty deposits inside the blood vessels that cause high blood pressure and heart disease, is a common secondary problem to obesity that usually goes undiagnosed until the later stages of the disease. Joint problems and arthritis, fatty liver disease, increased risk of diabetes, and the appearance of fatty tumors also occur in obese birds. There is also a much higher risk associated with handling obese birds. They are prone to overheating and do not tolerate the stress of handling as well as lean birds. To avoid obesity in your bird, regular exercise is needed (Yes, even flightless birds can be exercised! Try teaching a flapping trick or different climbing exercises)and given them a proper diet that restricts the amount of fatty nuts and table scraps the birds are getting.
Broken Blood Feathers
A blood feather is a growing feather that still has an active blood supply in the feather shaft. You can easily recognize these feathers because the shafts are purple as opposed to the white or clear shafts of mature feathers. Occasionally these feathers are damaged, and because of their good blood supply, will bleed quite readily. Sometimes the bleeding stops immediately; other times it continues. It is important to seek veterinary attention immediately if your bird is bleeding - blood loss can be fatal, especially in smaller species. If you are able to, plucking out the blood feather should stop the bleeding. You must pull out the entire feather instead of cutting it, and then apply direct pressure with a cotton ball or washcloth to the skin where the feather was plucked to stop residual bleeding. Always follow up as soon as possible with a veterinarian to ensure bleeding has stopped and your bird is no longer at risk. If you are unable to pull the blood feather, apply direct pressure and bring your bird immediately to the veterinarian. Occasionally anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics or cauterization are needed.
The Fluffed Bird
Many times when we see a bird there are nonspecific symptoms. These may range from respiratory problems to loose stool to decreased appetite. These birds are depressed, fluffed up in their cages and just seem sick overall. We always warn our clients that it can be dangerous to handle these birds. Sick birds are at a higher risk of death from stress during handling; however, a physical exam should be performed as quickly as possible in order to start treatment. Sometimes the physical exam will give us clues as to what is affecting your bird, but more often than not the physical exam findings are unremarkable. This is where further diagnostic testing is required.
For a sick bird, the tests that we most often recommend to help guide what treatments we do are a full blood panel (complete blood count and chemistry profile), full body x-rays, urinalysis and a fecal test. This usually gives us a good starting point for treatment. If a bird is too sick to do all the diagnostic testing at once (which is usually the case), then supportive care is started until the bird is strong enough to undergo the necessary tests. This could be hours or it could mean waiting a day or two before testing begins. Common supportive care includes fluid therapy, tube feeding birds that aren't strong enough to or won't eat on their own, antibiotic or antifungal therapy when indicated and pain medication if the bird seems painful. Sick birds also benefit from warmed cages with increased oxygen flow.
Once a diagnosis is made, appropriate therapy can be started. Hopefully, the bird's condition can be treated. Unfortunately, sick birds sometimes will succumb to their diseases. We typically do not see these birds until their disease has become advanced, and this makes it that much harder for a successful recovery.
Finally, there are some symptoms in birds that warrant immediate attention. The following list of symptoms means that your bird is in distress and needs to seek veterinary help as soon as possible. This list includes:
For a sick bird, the tests that we most often recommend to help guide what treatments we do are a full blood panel (complete blood count and chemistry profile), full body x-rays, urinalysis and a fecal test. This usually gives us a good starting point for treatment. If a bird is too sick to do all the diagnostic testing at once (which is usually the case), then supportive care is started until the bird is strong enough to undergo the necessary tests. This could be hours or it could mean waiting a day or two before testing begins. Common supportive care includes fluid therapy, tube feeding birds that aren't strong enough to or won't eat on their own, antibiotic or antifungal therapy when indicated and pain medication if the bird seems painful. Sick birds also benefit from warmed cages with increased oxygen flow.
Once a diagnosis is made, appropriate therapy can be started. Hopefully, the bird's condition can be treated. Unfortunately, sick birds sometimes will succumb to their diseases. We typically do not see these birds until their disease has become advanced, and this makes it that much harder for a successful recovery.
Finally, there are some symptoms in birds that warrant immediate attention. The following list of symptoms means that your bird is in distress and needs to seek veterinary help as soon as possible. This list includes:
- Rapid breathing, abdominal effort when breathing, or open mouthed panting
- Depressed and fluffed at the bottom of the cage or on a low perch
- Any bleeding that does not stop immediately
- Seizures, fainting, or falling off the perch