Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Avian diagnostic methods (Blood collection (CBC (Normal PCV is 40-60%.…
Avian diagnostic methods
Bacteriology swabs
Pre-moisten the smear with saline
Use an approrpiately sized swab for the site
Gram-stain/cytology commonly done in-house, C+S sent externally
Saline smears
Useful if unable to perform cultures or other expensive tests. Place a small amount of sample (exudate, faeces, crop/GIT contents) on a slide and dilute with a drop of warmed 0.9% saline. Place a coverslip on and view under high and low power. Protozoa, bacteria and yeasts may be seen.
Crop wash
Indications & uses
Used for cytology, culture, Gram staining (to rule out trichomoniasis, candidiasis and bacterial overgrowth)
Commonly indicated in cases of where regurgitation is a clinical sign
Technique
Dorsiflex & extend the neck, introduce the gavage needle and direct it towards the right side of the oropharynx. Direct it down the oesophagus until it arrives at the thoracic inlet. Inject fluid and withdraw multiple times . Place the fluid onto a clean microscopic slide and place a coverslip.
Equipment
14-18G stainless steel gavage needle, 0.5-10ml warmed isotonic crystalloid, syringe, microscope slide with cover slip
Blood collection
Collection sites
Toenail clip, right jugular vein, medial metatarsal vein, cutaneous ulnar vein (tends to form haematomas)
Sample volume
1% of BW (usually 1ml)
Equipment
25-30G needle with tuberculin syringe, blood tubes (EDTA, heparin, plain)
Blood smear prep
Best made with blood at time of collection
CBC
Normal PCV is 40-60%. Consider blood transfusion if < 20%.
Different types of WBCs: heterophils (equivalent of neuts), lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils. Normally differential dstribution is 50% heterophils and 50% lymphocytes.
Some species respond to stress with lymphocytosis or heterophilia, allergic or parasitic conditions may show eosinphilia, chronic disease conditions may show monocytosis (e.g. occurs in Chlamydiosis).
Biochem
Uric acid (renal function), glucose, AST, CK, bile acids (liver function)
Cytology
Used for skin scrapings, aspirates, fluid samples, impression smears (open lesions, cornea, cloaca etc), faecal material, urine, blood tissue, bone tissue/marrow, Gram-staining
Dropping analysis
Faecal portion
Colour
Normal
Shade of green to brown (diet dependant)
Bright green
Increased passage through intestine
Infection by bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella), yeasts (Candida), megabacteria, viruses (herpesviruses), protozoa (Eimeria, Isospora), Chlamydia, intestinal parasites (ascarids, Capillaria)
Inadequate food intake
Anorexia, disease, inadequate food sites in overcrowded aviary
Dietary pigments
Silverbeet or other greens, legumes
Pale
Pancreatic disease (maldigestion, 'popcorn poo'), enteritis (malabsorption), liver disease (bacteria, Chlamydia, trichomoniasis)
Red-brown
Dietary pigments (e.g. grain with a high tannin content such as sorghum)
Consistency
Increased fluid content
Diet with lots of fruit/nectar/vegetables, high salt diet, diarrhoea (infection, parasites), response to progestogens (soft, moist faeces)
Undigested food
Gizzard disease, lack of grit, enteritis (infection, parasites)
Decreased fluid content
Dehydration, species trait (e.g. Budgies), hypodypsia due to illness
Volume
Decreased
Decreased food intake, inappropriate food, anorexia, starvation, GIT obstruction
Increased
Normal (egg-laying hens), polyphagia, diabetes mellitus, young birds with new food items, Vit E/Se deficiency, intestinal malabsorption, enteritis, maldigestion (pancreatic disease, liver disease)
Microscopic exam
Faecal Gram stain (ID bacteria, fungi, inflammatory cells)
Normally Gram-positive cocci predominate with a few yeast (up to 10% Gram-negative bacteria is normal).
Faecal flotation (ID helminths)
Faecal wet-mount slide
General considerations
Assess the faecal, urate and urine portions individually to see if each falls within normal parameters.
Expect a temporary polyuria when birds visit the clinic (stress-induced)
Diarrhoea is rare in birds, most cases reported by owners are actually polyuria
Urine/urates
Colour
Bright green
Liver disease (biliverdinuria)
Pink to red-brown
Renal disease (brown/port wine colour), haemolysis, heavy metal toxicity
Yellow
Anorexia, B vitamin administration (will be bright yellow/orange)
Volume
Polyurates associated with catabolism or anorexia
Polyuria associated with renal tumours, toxins (heavy metals, aflatoxins), diabetes mellitus (will be concurrent hyperlgycaemia and glucosuria), diabetes insipidus and stress
Consistency
Viscosity increases with dehydration
Urinalysis
USG normally 1.005-1.02, pH 6-8
Sediment exam
Epithelial cells may suggest disease, urate crystals are normal, bacteria/yeasts/fungi usually from the GIT, presence or absence of casts is a significant finding (presence indicates renal disease)
Radiography
Standard two whole-body views (lateral and VD)