Week Two: Avian Nursing Part 2

Question 1

What are some things you need to think of when choosing a cage for your avian?

Answer 1

Size, bar thickness and spacing, separation from feces, perches, toys, location

Question 2

Birds are the _____ most common small animal pet

Answer 2

Third

Question 3

What are the two types of avians we have as pets?

Answer 3

Psittacines and Passeriformes

Question 4

What are Psittacines? What are Passeriformes?

Answer 4

Parrots; Song birds

Question 5

Approximately ___% of preseting disease problems in birds result from nutrition and husbandry.

Answer 5

85%

Question 6

What should be taken during a history of a bird?

Answer 6

Species, gender, age, origin (breeder? rescue? grandma?), environment (what room?), diet, appetite, feces, cage mates, molting cycle, behavior, previous medical history

Question 7

What are some things you need to consider when hospitalizing a bird?

Answer 7

Cages in separate room, visual barriers, disposable perches, cleanliness, temperature control (between 80-90F)

Question 8

How should birds be transported?

Answer 8

Cage, carrier, or plastic animal carrier

Cage should not be cleaned, never unsecured, bring medication, vitamins, and sample of food.

Question 9

What do you have to think about when tube feeding a bird?

Answer 9

Temperature of food, small amounts frequently, weigh bird one or two times per day

Question 10

What should parrots diets consist of?

Answer 10

Primarily pelleted (80% of total diet), fresh dark greens and yellow vegetables (20% of total diet), fruits and seeds as treats

Question 11

What do Budgerigars, cockatiels, and passerines diets consist of?

Answer 11

Up to 50% seed diets

Question 12

What do Canaries and finches need in their diets?

Answer 12

Millet, hemp, sesame, and linseed

Question 13

What do rare finch species need to eat?

Answer 13

Insects and fruit

Question 14

What do Lories diets look like?

Answer 14

Fruits and nectar

Question 15

Toucans, mynahs, and lories diets should be low in ____

Answer 15

Iron

Question 16

What are some toxic foods for birds?

Answer 16

Chocolate, avocados, high salt, sugar, or caffeine, and peanuts

Question 17

Wing clipping is for flight _____ not _____

Answer 17

Restriction not prevention

Question 18

What do technicians use to trim beaks?

Answer 18

File or dremel tool, electrocautery in smaller species

Question 19

When dealing with wound management in birds, you should avoid _____

Answer 19

Topical or parenteral steroids

Question 20

What are some bandage techniques we use for birds?

Answer 20

Ball or snowshoe bandages for feet and figure-8 bandages for wings

Question 21

How do we anesthetize birds?

Answer 21

Isoflurane gas with oxygen used in most cases, we use a mask or induction chamber to induce

Question 22

Where are IM injections best accomplished on birds?

Answer 22

Pectoral muscle mass

Question 23

Where is the recommended sight for IV drug treatment in birds?

Answer 23

Basilic vein (in the wing)

Question 24

Most caged birds have gram-_____ organisms in their digestive tract?

Answer 24

Positive

Question 25

What are cloacal swabs used for?

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What type of cells are inflammatory cells?

Answer 26

White blood cells

Question 27

Where are some venipuncture sites in birds?

Answer 27

Right jugular vein (recommended), basilica vein, medial metatarsal vein (not a good choice for large volumes)

Question 28

What are some diagnostic procedures we perform on birds?

Answer 28

Laparoscopy, endoscopy, tracheal or air sac washes, biopsies, cytologic examinations, bone marrow aspirates

Question 29

What are some diseases and health concerns in avians?

Answer 29

Chlamydophila psittaci, Polyomavirus, West Nile Virus, Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Heavy Metal Toxicosis, Hypocalcemia, Non-Stick Cookware Toxicosis, Egg Binding, Crop Burns

Question 30

How is Chlamydophila psittaci transmissible?

Answer 30

Respiratory inhalation

Question 31

Explain Polyomavirus

Answer 31

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

Question 32

What species are susceptible to West Nile Virus?

Answer 32

Crows, jays, raptors, horses

Question 33

Explain Aspergillosis

Answer 33

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

Question 34

What is Candidiasis caused by and what are some clinical signs?

Answer 34

Candida albicans

Regurgiation, white plaques in oral cavity, crop contents have a yeasty smell

Question 35

Explain Heavy Metal Toxicosis

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Explain Non-Stick Cookware Toxicosis

Answer 36

Teflon is not good for birds!
Pulmonary hemorrhage and death can occur
Bird will need fresh air and emergency steroids

Question 37

Explain Egg Binding

Answer 37

Related to low calcium

Muscles are unable to move egg out of tract which causes pressure on kidneys

Question 38

Food for birds should be cooler than _____F

Answer 38

105F

Question 39

Total blood volume of a bird equals what?

Answer 39

Approx. 10% of body weight in grams

Question 40

1,000 g macaw has how much blood?

100 g cockatiel has how much blood?

Answer 40

100 mL

10 mL

Question 41

A safe blood draw volume of a bird is ___% of body weight in grams

Answer 41

1%

Question 42

It is safe to draw ____mL of blood from a 1,000 g macaw. a 100 g cockatiel?

Answer 42

10 mL

1 mL

Question 43

How do we assess dehydration in birds?

Answer 43

Vein refill time

Signs include depression, sunken eyes, cool toes