Association of Avian Veterinarians

Intradermal Injections for Pox Eye LesionsAuthor(s): Matthew BondSource: Journal of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Fall, 1989), p. 132Published by: Association of Avian VeterinariansStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30134019 .

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In My Experience - minister fluids with IV catheters to flush out the animal as one would a dog or cat. In a recent case of a Black Palm Cockatoo (body weight: 600 g), I started out with 6-7 ml lactated Ringer's three times a day, went up to 8-9 ml around the second day, then took it back down, so that on the last day the fluids were administered subQ. Glucose (1 ml 50% glucose per 8 ml lactated Ringer's) was added (with IV administration only) to increase diuresis. The electrolytes were monitored and serum chem- istries and hematology were re- peated each day. One could see the values change: an increase in calcium and albumin, decrease in phosphorus, and change in pro- tein values. Electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium changed only slightly throughout the whole process. I believe with renal failure in birds, you can't just look at the uric acids; you must monitor other parameters as you would in dogs and cats. - Matthew Bond, DVM, Avi- cultural Breeding and Research Center, Loxahatchee, Florida

Intradermal Injections for Pox Eye Lesions

It is difficult to medicate the eye because of circulatory problems. Thus, when we needed to treat eye lesions during a pox outbreak, we first tried subconjunctival injec- tions, but these were hard to do and appeared to be painful for the birds. A group of Thick-billed Par- rots that had Pseudomonas second-

ary to the eye lesions reponded well to intradermal injections of piperacillin (200 mg/kg - 0.15-0.2 ml) every other day for 4 doses. I also used this technique when a Staphylcoccus aureus was cultured from the eye itself (unrelated to the pox) that caused discoloration and swelling of the eye ring; this similarly responded well to this technique. Because a small needle tends to bend easily, I use a 25 gauge needle, pick up the eye ring

and inject intradermally. The med- ication doesn't irritate the eye if you accidentally get some on the cornea. - Matthew Bond, DVM, Avicultural Breeding and Research Center, Loxahatchee, Florida

New Treatment for Tapeworms

Although the dose of Droncit that has been previously published in AAV (.05 ml/350 g) does seem to stop shedding of the eggs, it does not appear to eliminate tapeworms, based on my necropsies of pre- viously-treated birds. Recommen- dations to increase the dose from two-fold to ten-fold are commonly being made.

Droncit has also been recom- mended for the elimination of liver flukes. I have not been able to elim- inate liver flukes with this drug; the only thing it does is temporarily stop the shedding (for up to 90 days). We have gone to chlorsulon (Curatrem - MSD AGVET), an 81/2% oral drench. The drug is adminis- tered at 20 mg/kg for three treat- ments, 2 weeks apart. This situation arises most commonly with liver flukes in cockatoos. - Robert Clipsham, DVM, Simi Valley, California

Use of Torbutrol in Birds Butorphanol (Torbutrol- Bristol

Meyers) is a visceral (GVE) blocker that is used as an antitussive for dogs with kennel cough, and for treatment of abdominal pain in horses. I have used it in birds to

stop non-productive coughing in cases of ulcerative tracheitis, and in conjunction with Banamine for post-surgical pain. I extrapolate from the canine dose for the injec- table form. The drug apparently of- fers a slight sedative effect at higher doses in mammals, but I haven't tried that. I see no side effects of depression or sedation. - Robert Clipsham, DVM, Simi Valley, California

Remarks on Proventricular Dilatation

I would like to offer some com- ments regarding "Trends in Pro- ventricular Dilatation" (JAAV 3:73, 1989). While dilatation of the pro- ventriculus is the most dramatic

gross lesion in birds dying of this disease, it is important to point out that there are usually gross and microscopic lesions present in the ventriculus and duodenum as well (see Gerlach, H., Avian Diseases 31: 214-221). Gerlach reports seeing this condition in the African Grey Parrot and we have had one con- firmed case in this species also. We have noted no sex predilection although in one aviary outbreak male birds were predominately af- fected. In my experience, this disease spreads slowly with low mortality in an aviary situation. If the cause of this problem is a neurotropic virus (e.g., paramyxovirus), would it not be likely to see a spectrum of

organ involvement? It is my opinion that the putative virus causing this disease is not terribly pathogenic and that the severe end stage gastric le- sions occur in only certain indivi- duals. It is also my clinical impres- sion that some birds exposed to this agent do become clinically ill but recover without developing gross gastric pathology. The existence of apparently healthy carrier birds has been suggested. Could this be what Dr. Clipsham observed when new mates provided for apparenty unaf- fected birds (whose previous mates had died) succumbed to this disease after introduction?

It may be useful to consider the adoption of a more accurate, descrip- tive name for this disease than "wasting disease" or "proventricu- lar dilatation." "Psittacine neuro-

pathic gastric dilatation" and "infil- trative splanchnic neuropathy" have been proposed. Any comments? - Michael Taylor, DVM, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

132 JAAV

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