What kind of feathers are these?
the first one is: Contour
the second one is: Down
these are the ones you will pluck for wound care & related procedures
Powder Down feathers
tips of feather start breaking up- making a powder
hypersensitivity rxn, esp Macaw birds. Macaw respiratory syndrome
What is shown in this image?
feather tracts- naked patch of skin good for jugular blood draw
moving the feathers to the sides for physical exam or wound care
______ is the shedding of old feathers to be replaced by new feathers
molting
Make sure to check for ___ before trimming the wing feathers
blood feathers (growing feathers)
How do we treat a broken blood feather?
pluck it -some vets disagree
broken blood feathers are a common emergency
Explain preening
“zip”
barbs and barbules get zipped together so the birds feathers are together and smooth
healthy birds preen… a bird that doesn’t preen looks dirty and ungroomed
Do feathers cover the entire area of a birds body?
Label A & B
no
A= Pterylae
B= Apteria
Jugular bird venipuncture
right is bigger than left
located in feather tract so move feathers aside to view
How would you remove the feathers to clean up a wound?
pluck by hand or forceps- contour and down feathers
(very thin skin, careful putting holes into it)
What do the red arrows indicate?
Stress bars
they mean something happened during development of the feathers
may be vitamin A deficiency
What is the lesion?
feather cysts
ingrown feathers
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
- most important virus in practice
- affects young birds
- clinical signs can be delayed
- circovirus: immunosuppressive
- high mortality in some birds
- acute and chronic forms
What is the pic showing?
feather dystrophy
What are the pictures showing?
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) Circovirus
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD) Diagnosis
- blood test: PCR assay
- feathers, dander, environment
- positive blood tests: repeat in 90 days
- inclusion bodies on follicle biopsy
- juvenile birds: CBC
- WCC <1,000 indicative in some birds
On a pre-purchase health exam of a 7 yr green cheeked conure, you astutely notice a small, bilobed swelling at the base of the tail that has a few protruding short feathers. It feels greasy and the bird is sensitive to the touch. What do you recommend to the owner?
do nothing, this is a normal anatomic structure in this species
its the preen gland
c. surgical removal of the feather follicles
Flight feathers in the wings are attached to the _____; remember this when handling birds
bones
Elbow joint venipuncture site
basilar vein (wing vein)
Cavities of _____ bones are filled with diverticula from air sacs (called ____ bones)
long bones- humerus and femur
pneumatic bone
T/F: open fractures are common in birds
true
Open fractures are common and it is imperative that you determine if the fragments are….
viable or dead
