25 Most Common Illnesses of Baby Birds
The innocent little baby bird with its entire life ahead of it holds
such potential to the future owner. And while we would like every
baby bird to have a smooth journey from egg to adult it doesn't
always work out that way. Problems and diseases of baby birds can
fall into four categories:
Congenital defects are those that occur as a result of a genetic
problem.
Developmental problems occur as a result of injury, poor husbandry practices, malnutrition or from problems during incubation.
Infectious problems can occur from viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa or parasites.
The last category is trauma/injury.
While I am not going to get into the philosophical discussion about
whether unweaned baby birds should be sold, I will say that a high
percentage of problems I see in baby birds ca be directly attributed
to an inexperienced hand-feeder or to babies being sold, transported
or exposed to baby birds from other breeders prior to weaning.
The Right Environment
Baby birds should be kept in an appropriate brooder once they have
been removed from the nest or incubator. Baby birds cannot regulate
their body temperature for the first few weeks of life. A brooder
can maintain a specific temperature and humidly that will be correct
for the neonates. Newly hatched psittacines should be maintained at
approximately 90 to 94 degrees Fahrenheit, with a relative humidity
of 50-75 percent.
If a baby is kept at too low of a temperature it will not develop
properly and will not digest its food properly. As the developing
baby bird grows pin feathers, the ambient temperature can be lowered
to 86-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
One of the problems that I see when unweaned baby birds are sold is
that often the purchaser does not have the proper facilities to
maintain the correct temperature for the baby bird or it becomes
chilled during transport to the new home. A heating pat placed under
a laundry basket is no substitute for a brooder and will not be able
to maintain the temperature and humidity needed for young baby
birds. This usually results in the baby bird developing digestive
problems (often called slow crop) and secondary bacterial and fungal
infections. (More on this later)
Baby birds may be raised initially by the parents or by foster
birds. To have health6 baby birds the birds that raise the chicks
must be healthy. Many diseases can be transmitted either through the
egg or in the nest or when the parents feed the babies.
Other baby birds will be hatched in an artificial incubator because
the breeder took the eggs from the parents (for one of a number of
reasons). Incubator-hatched babies often have a different set of
potential problems then parent-raised offspring. When considering
purchasing a baby bird from any source, it is always a good idea to
find out if the neonate was incubator hatched or parent-raised.
Congenital Defects
Congenital problems of baby birds are not very common. Even in
breeder birds that are closely related (brother-sister paring and/or
parent-offspring paring) defects in chicks are rarely reported.
Occasionally, congenital defects will results in the embryo dying in
the egg and not surviving to hatch.
The most common congenital defects noted in parrots are Atresia of
the Choana (meaning that the choana is improperly formed so that
there is no communication between the sinuses and nostrils, and the
oral cavity) and Congenital Heart Disease, such as ventricular
septal defect (a hole in the heart between the chambers called
ventricles).
Occasionally a newly hatched chick may have an Open Umbilicus
(hernia) that does not close up on its own. Sometimes yolk or
internal organs may protrude through the opening and this may
require surgical correction. The umbilicus may also become infected,
resulting in serious infection requiring appropriate medications.
Retained yolk sac beyond the normal period of time (it should
usually be completely absorbed within seven to ten days) may
indicate infection or improper incubation.
Developmental problems commonly occur in growing baby birds. The
neat thing about baby birds is that they are malleable, like
modeling clay. They change from day to day, growing quickly. So if a
baby bird develops a problem, such as a crooked beak.
It can be quite simple to correct by the use of a grinding tool and
physical therapy if it is caught early enough. However if the beak
has begun to harden before the defect is discovered, the correction
may involve general anesthesia, corrective grinding and prosthetics
that may need to remain on the beak for several months.
Splay leg problems or other leg problems are often encountered.
Newly hatched rose-breasted cockatoos and other types of cockatoos
that are heave-bodied may not be able to support their own body
weight on their legs. For these types of birds, it is often
advantageous to keep each baby in a small container that doesn't
allow the legs to slide out from under them sideways and to provide
a type of material underfoot that provides them with traction.
In cases where the legs are already splayed, hobbles, splints,
saddles of foam or creative traction may be employed by the avian
vet to correct the deformity. Again, if the condition is discovered
early on it can be much simpler to correct. If the limbs have been
out of position for a period of time, it may be very difficult to
correct the problem or the legs may never be normal in spite of
aggressive therapy.
Fractures of the limbs may occur while the baby bird is still in the
nest, especially in African grays from pairs on their second or
third clutch of chicks for the season. This probably occurs from the calcium stores being depleted by the hen from producing and feeding multiple clutches of babies. Often when the babies are removed from the nest, an obvious deformity of a leg may be noted. Usually the fractured bones are already healed, sometimes in an abnormal position. In some cases it may be beneficial to surgically rebreak the leg and correct the deformity but in other cases it is best to leave the le as if it is functional.
Surgery may actually cause other problems, especially if the nerves
and tendons have been damaged in the healing process. Often the
bones will remodel and the bird will do fine without surgery. My pet
African gray, Poppy is one of these birds with healed fractures of
both wings., legs and hips. She was going to be euthanized by a
breeder when I asked to adopt her. Even though she has crooked legs,
she perches just fine, can hold food in her feet and plays with her
toys. She is a joy. And she talks up a storm! I feel blessed to have her.
Sometimes a bird will develop a crooked neck or back. If discovered
when the baby bird is young enough the bird may be placed in a
special splint or saddle to help correct the deformity. If the neck
is abnormally curved, application of a neck brace and then taping the brace to the side of a container can often correct the defect in a few days.
Baby birds may develop constrictions on the toes. This occurs most
commonly in Eclectus and macaw babies. If the constriction is noted
early on, it may be simple to correct, however if the constriction
has resulted in the loss of blood supply to the toe, this may
require surgery to correct the defect or amputation of the toe (s)
may be necessary as a salvage procedure. It may be possible to
prevent (or minimize) constrictions by maintaining susceptible
species in a higher humidity environment and placing the babies on
location-impregnated tissues (like Puffs Plus T) that moisturize the
feet instead of the usual bedding.
Trauma & Injury
Occasionally an injury may result in a deformity developing as the
baby grows. One baby may bob on the beak of another, in a vain
attempt to be fed, as it would be by its parents. In addition to
separating the baby birds and making sure that they are being fed
appropriately the damage to the beak can be corrected, usually with
physical therapy, unless severe. Fractures of bones can be
immobilized with splints and they usually heal very quickly (within
two to three weeks). A complicated fracture, however, may require
pins or more sophisticated devices.
One of the most serious injuries seen in baby birds is the crop
burn. This occurs when food that is too hot is fed to the baby and
the delicate lining of the crop is burned. Food should be 100 to
105degrees Fahrenheit. A crop burn may occur if food is marginally
too hot (115 degrees Fahrenheit) and fed over several feedings or if
the food is very hot (greater the 120 degrees Fahrenheit) in one
feeding.
This is why the hand-feeder must use a thermometer to ensure that
the temperature is correct prior to feeding a baby bird. Also,
formula should not be heated in the microwave oven, as this will
result in hot spots in the formula that can easily burn the crop
lining. Recent crop burns should be managed medically with smaller
feedings, antibiotics and anifungals, and whatever support care is
deemed necessary by the veterinarian.
Once the burn has scabbed over, it is time to attempt surgical
correction. If surgery is performed too soon after the burn, the
tissue will continue to deteriorate resulting in the stitches
pulling out and the repair breaking down. Often the burn is not
discovered by the owner until the scab falls off and baby food
begins pouring out of the hole, which is called a fistula. Crop
burns are a completely preventable problem and can be avoided by
always feeding baby formula at the correct temperature.
Overfeeding a baby bird may result in the baby regurgitating formula
and subsequently inhaling (aspirating) it. Aspiration pneumonia is a
very serious condition requiring emergency care, fluid therapy,
antibiotics, antifungals and perhaps nebulization therapy. Over
feeding may also result in a stretched cop that can no longer
perform the muscular contraction the propel the food into the
proventriculus (stomach).
Food remaining in the crop to long can ferment, resulting in
bacterial or fungal overgrowth and toxins are produced by the
bacteria present. This condition requires that the crop be emptied
out and flushed after 12-24 hours to prevent further damage. A crop
bra may be applied to help support the flaccid tissue until the
muscles and nerves return to normal function. After testing,
appropriate therapy should be administered.
Baby birds may also ingest foreign objects. On occasion, a feeding
tube may become detached from the feeding syringe, and the baby may
swallow it. In most cases, the tube can be easily removed through
the mouth by an experienced avian veterinarian. Rarely endoscopy or
surgery may be required to extract a tube especially if it has
migrated into the proventriculus or other areas of the
gastrointestinal tract.
While I certainly don't condone ignoring a rubber or latex feeding
tube that has been `lost' in a baby bird, a blue-and-gold macaw of
one client of mine swallowed a latex tub, and lo and behold, the
bird passed the entire 4-inch tube in one piece six months later!
This is a vary rare occurrence and the bird was extremely lucky as
the tube could have caused a blockage in the intestines, a
perforation of the intestines of other serious, life-threatening
problems.
Baby birds may also ingest whole peanuts, shell and all, bedding or
just about anything that they can fit in their mouths and swallow.
Manual retrieval endoscopy or surgery may be used to remove the
foreign body.
Stunting is a condition where a baby bird is not growing properly.
Often stunted birds have stress bars on feathers, indicating
disruption in the nutrition of the bird at that point of development
of the feathers. Stunted birds have delayed development and may
appear pale, with an overly large head. Sometimes ears will not open
properly (especially in macaw babies). Eyelids may not appear over
the eye, which can be seen under the skin. The skin may be wrinkly
and feathers may not be developing properly. There may be many
causes for stunting, including chronic infection, malnutrition,
being maintained at too cool of a temperature, incorrect incubation
parameters or a hen being depleted of nutrition's when producing
eggs or being fed an incorrect diet.
While some infections in neonates come from the parent birds of from
other baby birds in the nursery many medical problems are often a
result of improper husbandry. What I mean by this is that babies
that are kept at the incorrect ambient temperature are much more
susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections.
Overfeeding underfeeding, feeding formula that is too hot or too
cold, feeding formula that is too think or too think, feeding a baby
at incorrect intervals - any one of these things can precipitate aealth crises in a baby bird. Formula may be used or handled
inappropriately which may result in disease.
I have had clients save unused formula in the refrigerator for use
at the next feeding. This is a dangerous practice as bacteria and
toxins can be forming in the stored formula. Formula should be mixed
up fresh at every feeding. It is vital that owners read the
instructions on the hand-feeding formula container and follow them
to the letter, measuring the ingredients and not guessing.
It is also very important that the formula is not changed by the
owner adding ingredients such as peanut butter or human baby foods.
Adding ingredients will change the fat-to-protein ratio, which can
have serious effects on a baby bird's digestion. Adding fat to the
formula will cause digestion to slow down and this can begin a
cascade of problems. If the owner continues to feed the baby on the
same schedule, this may result in the baby being fed new formula on
top of the food still remaining in the crop.
Healthy baby birds should be fed 10-12 percent of their body weight
per feeding. For example a 300-gram baby bird should be fed about 30
cc of formula per feeding. Some babies - especially cockatoos - will
beg continually for food. Even when full, and owners may tend to over
feed them, which can be dangerous because the baby may aspirate
formula.
Over time an overfed baby may become overweight, eventually
resulting in liver damage. In my opinion no baby bird should ever
need to be fed more then 100 cc of formula per feeding, even large
macaw babies as large volumes will overstretch the crop.
The term "slow crop" is not a disease, but a symptom. Anything that
alters the motility of the GI tract can result in food not moving
out of the crop properly. As the food sits in the crop, bacteria and
yeast will begin proliferating and some bacteria will produce toxins
that can be absorbed by the baby, making it sicker. So the baby that
isn't digesting its food properly will begin to suffer from myriad
problems, including dehydration, bacterial infection, fungal
infection (usually with Candida), toxemia and/or malnutrition.
It is necessary to have old formula pumped out of the crop if
digestion has slowed, and this should be done within 12-24 hours. If
antibiotics are necessary they may be given by injection and not
orally since the medication may not be absorbed properly from the
unhealthy GI tract.
Any baby bird that is receiving antibiotic therapy should also
receive an antifungal medication to prevent a yeast overgrowth. In
my experience using the antifungals nystatin is no longer the most
effective drug to use in baby birds. To be effective, nystatin must
come in contact with the yeast organism directly. I usually use a
combination of nystatin and fluconizole, as fluconizole works
systemically I have found this to be a very same and effective
combination. There are several different medications that can be
given to try to stimulate the GI tract to aid digestion.
Baby birds that have digestive problems may need fluids, which can
be administered under the skin, intravenously or intraosseously
(where a catheter is placed into a bone, which works like
administering fluids in a vein). Once the digestive tract begins
functioning normally again, fluids and medications can be given
orally and formula can also be started up again.
Parent-raised baby birds may surer from intestinal parasites. Roundworms are one type of worm that can be seen in young birds. It should be noted that fecal parasite exams may not always show worm eggs, as the GI transit time is so fast that eggs don't concentrate, like they do in dogs and cats, meaning that it is possible to get false negative results. Tapeworms may also be found in young birds, but these worms require an intermediate host of possibly a grain beetle or cockroach that must be consumed by the bird.
Giardia, a one-celled protozoan organism may be passed from parent
to baby in the nest. This organism can cause digestive problems in
baby birds, and has caused deaths among nestlings of several species
including cockatiels, budgerigars, canaries and finches. Giardia can
be very difficult to diagnose as it is not passed in every dropping
and may requires special tests and staining methods to confirm.
Treatment has classically been attempted with metronidazole which
isn't the most effective drug for this problem. Other medications,
such as fenbendazole are effective in dogs and cats, can cause liver
damage or even death in birds. The most effective drug that I have
found is called ronidazole, which is very safe and efficacious.
External parasites are not very common in most pet and breeder
birds. However, they do occasionally occur. Feather lice can be
seen on the primary and secondary wings and tail feathers but do not
do so much harm. Several different types of mites can infest pet
birds and most feed and night on the bird and then crawl off to hide
in cracks and crevasses of the cage during the day. With severe
infestation, mites can cause feather abnormalities and feather cysts
as well as anemia.
Any infections that can cause disease in an adult bird can also do
so in baby birds. Because young birds do not yet possess a fully
functioning immune system, most diseases may cause more serious
disease in them then that found in adults.
Psittacosis caused by the primitive bacteria Chlamydophila can cause
serious disease in baby birds. Left untreated it can result in
permanent damage to the lungs, air sacs and liver. There are several
excellent tests to try to confirm psittacosis in pet birds but no
test is 100 percent accurate in a live bird. Mycoplasmosis is
another primitive organism that can cause respiratory disease in
young birds.
An infection of the temporomandilbular join of a baby bird (most
often seen in cockatiels) can result in a condition know
as `lockjaw'. When the jaw joints are affected, the baby bird may
not be able to open its beak and may therefore starve to death, as
it will be unable to eat. This is most often caused by the
bacterium Bordetella Avium, however other bacteria can also cause
abscesses of the TMJ.
The yeast, Candida Albicans is a common cause of infection in the
mouth, choana and crop of young birds, especially in those birds
that are receiving antibiotic therapy without concurrent use of an
antifungals. Candidiasis usually has the appearance of white, fuzzy
lesions in the mouth or crop. Routine Gram's staining of the Choana
and crop can help diagnose this condition.
Many viruses can affect baby and juvenile birds. Psittacine
Circovirus the organism that causes Psittacines Beak and Feather
Disease (PBFD) can cause disease in young birds. Many young birds
exposed to this virus will mount an effective immune response and
rid their bodies of this virus, never causing feather abnormalities
or disease. A small percentage of babies that acquire the PBFD virus
will develop feather abnormalities as the feathers grow in, and they
will get progressively more ill due to suppression of the immune
system. These sick birds will eventually succumb to the effects of
this virus.
Polyomavirus is another infection that is very dangerous to unweaned
baby birds. If exposed, most will die after acute signs of illness.
The babies may show bruising or excessive bleeding before death due
to liver damage. A vaccine is available that can prevent serious
illness or death in unweaned baby psittacines. Vaccines should be
administered subcutaneously at 5 and 7 weeks of age. Full immunity
should protect a young bird two weeks after the second vaccine.
Any baby bird that will be exposed to other parrots should be
vaccinated prior to putting them together. However, quarantining new
birds is always recommended. Juvenile psittacines that have reached
weaning age can still acquire the poly-omavirus infection, but they
are not likely to die unless their immune systems are already being
challenged by other infections (such as psittacosis, PBFD, etc)
Adult birds can also develop infection from polyomavirus, but most
are not likely to die (except Eclectus, grass parakeets and caiques)
Adults may show mild signs of vague illness when infected, and they
may shed virus into the environment, exposing any bird in the area.
Adults may also be vaccinated.
Baby Bird Tests/Procedures
Any tests that can be performed on adult birds can also be done on
baby and juvenile birds. Blood tests, radiographs, serology. Gram's
stains, bacterial and fungal cultures, ultrasound and more can
easily be performed on baby birds. Surgery can be performed on baby
birds as well and anesthesia is very safe as long as the crop is
empty at the time of surgery to prevent possible regurgitation and
aspiration of formula or crop contents.
When evaluating a baby bird, the avian vet will ask many questions
regarding the baby bird's environment, feeding schedule, other pets
in the household, methods of disinfect ion of equipment, temperature
and humidity in the brooder, and other pertinent questions. Be
prepared by having your information ready for the doctor. When hand-
feeding a baby bird, make sure to note hatch date, daily weigh
(using an accurate gram scale and weighting of the baby daily prior
to the first feeding of the day), times of feeding, amount fed per
feeding, brand of formula used, how formula is prepared, and any
other information necessary. Be prepared to provide information
about the breeder, status of parent birds, vaccination records of
parents and chicks, any medications administrated, any tests
performed and pertinent history.
While I cannot condone the transfer of unweaned baby birds to
inexperienced owners., if a baby must be sold or transferred, it is
best to wait until it is at least 5 weeks old. Five weeks seems to
be the magic age, as babies transferred after that age are much less
likely to suffer from problems related to chilling, infection or
changes to the feeding schedule or diet. At the age, the first
polyoma vaccine may also be administered. While 5-week-old chicks
can still become ill, they seem to do much better then younger
chicks when subjected to change.
Baby birds have such wonderful potential, and it is in the best
interest of all of us to protect them from harm from poor husbandry
practices or infections. Have all babies examined by an avian
veterinarian, vaccinate them and care for them properly to give them
the best start for a long and healthy life.
*********************************************************************
Margaret A. Wissman, DVM, DABVP - Avian Practice and her husband,
Bill Parsons, own Icarus Mobile Veterinary Service. Wissman has
written for many professional journals and textbooks and has
lectured worldwide as an avian and exotic animal medicine. She also
performs avian consultations for Antech Diagnostic Labs part-time.
Visit her web site at : www.exotic petvet.net.
