Association of Avian Veterinarians

IV Catheter UseAuthor(s): Matthew BondSource: Journal of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Fall, 1989), pp. 131-132Published by: Association of Avian VeterinariansStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30134018 .

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be cut down further if necessary. The "window frame system" developed by 3M offers easy handling of the dressing margins when the center cut-out window is discarded. Once the dressing backing is removed, the Tegaderm is applied directly to the wound and surrounding skin, press- ed into place, and the paper border is removed. Removal of the dressing is done by simply lifting one corner and gently peeling it off the wound surface.

One case in which this product was used involved an adult female Bald Eagle found in northern Min- nesota with extensive soft tissue trauma on the dorsal surface of one

wing. She had been shot and the in- juries were probably sustained when

she fell to the ground. Most of the skin from her elbow to carpus had been abraded, exposing underlying muscles and tendons. After exten- sive cleansing and debridement, Tegaderm and a figure-of-eight wing bandage were used to manage the wounds during the first three weeks of her rehabilitation program. By the end of the third week, a large portion of the exposed tissue had healed and Tegaderm alone was used for an ad- ditional two weeks to continue to

manage the healing wounds. Phy- sical therapy was started in the third week and flight exercising began by the fifth week. An intensive four- week course of flight training was necessary to get the eagle back to her former physical condition. We are

convinced that Tegaderm made a significant difference in the outcome of this eagle, considering the severity of her injuries when she was first ad- mitted. The dressing's moist protec- tion of the exposed muscles and ten- dons combined with the rapid heal- ing and return to functional use of the wing enabled us to successfully rehabilitate this eagle.

Tegaderm is available through veterinary distributors who carry 3M products. For more informa- tion, please contact: Mr. Greg Juenemann, Animal Care Pro- ducts/3M, 3M Center, Building 225-IN-07, St. Paul, MN 55144- 1000 (612) 736-0329.E

The Raptor Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota

Pediatric Leg Repair My experience with leg defor-

mities has been that varus (bent inward) and valgus (bent out- ward) deviations of the hips and knees are much more common than the conditions we have

previously referred to as slipped tendons or perosis. When these are allowed to heal in place, major surgical reconstruction, such as a wedge osteotomy, is necessary for correction. However, we are en- couraging owners to bring in af- fected birds during the rapid growth stage, when the bones are still relatively cartilaginous. We put the bird into a restraining device (similar to orthopedic shoes for children) that forces the joint to reform back to the normal angle.

We have experimented with a number of devices in order to pro- vide a solid base for restraint yet protect the bird from imbalance or injury. Although a cardboard con- tainer can be used, it tends to get dirty quickly and needs to be changed frequently. The most suc- cessful forms have been made from plastic deli drink containers or irrigation syringe trays. The

trays are cut to include two ver- tical supports, a 4" x 4" base and a 1 /2" strip around the sides. The legs of the baby are wrapped first in a soft cast padding, then with VetWrap, and the bird is placed inside the frame and carefully taped into position with the legs against the braces and the feet on the base. One must avoid applying tape across the belly, and the toes should be checked

daily for any signs of vascular im- pediment. The entire restraining device may be placed inside a larger container lined with towels so the baby doesn't fall.

A device that is quicker and easier to make can be fashioned from 1/2" thick foam rubber pad- ding (similar to what may come

packed around instruments) that is cut slightly larger than the bird. Two right angle cross-cuts are made for the legs. The foam hob- ble is slipped on like a pair of pants and cinched up where retention is needed (ankles, knees, hips). The bird can then be placed in a towel-lined container. - Robert Clipsham, DVM, Simi Valley, California

IV Catheter Use I have used IV catheters in 20-30

birds and have never encountered the problems I hear from other practitioners of bleed-outs, block- ages of catheters or birds pulling them out. I use the 24 gauge Abbo-cath (Abbott Laboratories) in species as small as Pionus. They are sutured or taped in place, then wrapped well with VetWrap. (I often put a loose piece of VetWrap around one leg to serve as a dis- traction.) I find them relatively easy to insert in the ulnar vein. Some birds I gas down (usually with iso- flurane), although I avoid anesthe- sia and use just manual restraint with very sick or shocky birds.

In cases of renal failure, I ad-

VOL.3 NO.3 1989 131

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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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