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Mike
Here you
see possibly one of our smallest patients - Mike, a young Yemen Chameleon,
who had scorched his toes on the heatlamp in his vivarium! Fortunately
for him there will be no lasting damage." |
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Nail Clipping:
Sometimes birds toenails get long & sharp. There are
perches that can help to keep this under control but if your bird continues
to suffer with this problem bring it along to one of our clinics & have them
cut on a regular basis.
Beak Clipping:
As with toenails beaks can get overgrown. Right you can see a lovebird
with a beak that has got out of hand. Normally if your birds beak
appears to be growing uneven or getting long a simple clipping will sort
it out. Don't neglect your birds beak, at the first sign of a
problem bring it to us. |
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Scaly Face:
'Scaly face' is a common parasitic infestation in caged birds, caused by the
burrowing
mite Cnemidocoptes pilae.
It is equivalent to mange in a dog or fox, and the mite
causes
skin irritation, and crust formation around the face and feet, hence the
other common name of the disease of 'tassle foot'.
Top Left shows the face of the budgerigar, the mite infestation
has caused deformity in the growth of the beak, and the crusty areas around
the beak show tunnel entrances in which the mites live.
Bottom Left
Shows a budgerigars foot with mite investation.
Fortunately these days treatment is simple and very
effective, using the parasiticidal drug Ivermectin.
Right Top
shows a Red-Fronted Kakariki
with severe scaly face prior to treatment, while picture
Lower
Right shows the
same bird just two weeks after just one application of the drug. You can see
regression of the crusts, and regrowth of Feathers." |
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Blocked Nose:
The picture on the left shows a 18
week old African Grey which had the right nostril constantly clogged with
mucus from birth. This was due to a blockage at the back of the throat.
A tube was inserted & left in place for two weeks. This enlarged the
opening at the back of the throat & when removed allowed the mucus to drain
normally. The picture on the left shows the bird at one year old with
a the now open airway.
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Foam & Perspex Collars:
Collars: may be required in
the short term to break the cycle of plucking problems. It is still,
however, necessary to diagnose the underlying cause of the plucking,
and deal with that, but the collar may prevent the bird doing
further damage while such treatment takes place. The picture on the
left
shows one made from foam pipe lagging, while that on the
right
is a purpose-made perspex collar.
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Bumblefoot:
This is a common chronic
infection in the feet of birds, most commonly found in waterfowl and
birds of prey. It usually follows persistent injury from unsuitable
perching or flooring, coupled with secondary infection. The severity
of infection and damage is graded: mild cases may be treated with
antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and improvements to hygiene and
housing; while advanced cases may need extensive and repeated
surgery, or even euthanasia.
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Sinus Abscess:
Sinus abscesses: are common in
birds, and may be the result of
straightforward
bacterial or viral infection in species such as canaries (left) or
poultry. A commonly implicated organism is Mycoplasma. In
African grey parrots (right), the underlying cause is almost always
a deficiency of vitamin A, complicated by secondary bacterial or
fungal infection. In these cases, treatment involves cleaning and
flushing of the nasal cavity, plus appropriate antibiotic or
antifungal therapy, followed by attention to DIET to correct the
deficiency.
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Ovulatory stasis
('egg retention') in a Bearded Dragon.
A
common problem this summer in these animals of breeding age, is when
eggs develop inside, but are not produced successfully. If caught in
time, surgical removal is successful, but sadly for this individual
she was brought in to the surgery too late, so these are
post-mortem pictures.
(Left)
shows eggs inside the abdominal cavity, with a fatty and cirrhotic
liver at the top of the picture.
(Right) shows eggs attached to
supporting ligaments removed from the abdomen, with smaller
follicles visible in the ovary towards the animal's back.
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Billie.
‘Billie’was a 25 year
old tortoise presenting with a cloacal prolapse
(Prolapse 03),
and referred to us by a neighbouring practice. She was accompanied by
a radiograph from the referring practice showing a large radio-dense mass
inside her, some 8 – 10 cm in diameter
(Billie Matton Xray).
The prolapsed tissue appeared to be oviduct, but the abdominal mass clearly
had to be removed.
After anaesthetising her, the underside of the shell was marked out with a
Dremel rotating cutting wheel (shell
02), and a ‘window’ was cut in the
shell (shell 04).
The exposed shell membrane was then cut
(shell 05),
to reveal the abdominal contents. A very thickened urinary bladder,
containing a large urate calculus "urolith" was the most prominent feature.
The stone was removed from the bladder by cutting it in half, then once the
bladder had been sutured and replaced, large numbers of retained egg
follicles were also removed. (ova 01),
& (ova 02)
also shows the calculus.
The internal membrane was then sutured
(shell 06)
and the shell flap was replaced, and the edges sealed with Technovit acrylic
hoof repairing compound (shell 08),
(shell 09).
The prolapsed oviduct tissue was then also removed and the torn tissue
repaired. Billie recovered quickly but sadly died two days later – the
whole affair had proved just too much for her.
Before the operation, Billie weighed 3.46 Kg, and afterwards she was 2.59
Kg! (weight).
The urolith weighed nearly 500 gm on its own!
(urolith 04).
The calculus consisted of layer upon layer of urate waste built up over many
months or years (urolith 05),
as a result of inadequate fluid intake and perhaps a high-protein diet.
A
dramatic case and surgical procedure, with a sad outcome, but illustrating
the importance of identifying such problems early enough for successful
treatment to be given.





 
  
  
July 2008
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Replacement of a
cloacal prolapse in a Bearded Dragon.
This is a common occurrence in
animals reaching sexual maturity, as it can be in birds.
Picture
(Bottom Left) shows the fleshy
mass protruding from the cloaca, being the engorged lining
tissue of the cloaca everted. The animal's feet have been taped
to prevent damage to the delicate tissue by the sharp claws.
The picture (Middle left)
shows the prolapse being soaked in saturated sugar solution.
This can have the effect of reducing the swelling by drawing
fluid out of it by osmosis.
Picture (Middle Right)
shows one stay suture through the cloacal opening to reduce
its diameter and prevent re-extrusion.
Picture (right)
shows the finished operation, with stay sutures across the
cloacal opening, and fixation sutures through the body wall.
   
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