Yvonne R.A. van Zeeland

Vestibular Syndrome Due to a Choroid Plexus Papilloma in a Ferret

A 6-year-old, castrated male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented with progressive neurological signs consisting of a right-sided head tilt and ataxia. Neurological examination revealed hemiparesis and absence of proprioception on the right side, consistent with central vestibular syndrome. Measurement of blood glucose excluded hypoglycemia due to insulinoma. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed the presence of an intracranial mass, consistent with either granuloma or neoplasia. Palliative treatment with prednisolone yielded no improvement. At postmortem examination, a final diagnosis of a choroid plexus papilloma originating from the fourth ventricle was made. This is the first report of such a tumor in a ferret.

Use of a GnRH agonist implant as alternative for surgical neutering in pet ferrets

In the current study, the duration of effectiveness, owner satisfaction and side effects of a gonadotrophin releasing hormone-agonist (deslorelin) implant were investigated during a two-year follow-up study in which 61 male and 69 female entire pet ferrets were given a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant as alternative to surgical neutering. In 27 participating non-oestrous jills, a double-blind placebo controlled study was performed to investigate whether a single low dose of medroxyprogesterone (2 mg orally) four days preceding placement of the implant could prevent oestrus induction. The duration of effectiveness of the implant ranged from 301 days to over 1339 days (mean 1012±38 days), with no sex difference present. Over 90 per cent of owners were pleased with the effects of the implant. Minor local side effects were noted in less than 20 per cent of ferrets, which all resolved within a week without treatment. Oestrus was induced in 77 per cent of jills receiving medroxyprogesterone and 50 per cent of jills receiving the placebo, indicating that administration of a low-dose progestogen cannot prevent postimplant oestrus. Based on the minimum duration of effectiveness, it is advised to place a new implant on a yearly basis to guarantee continuous gonadal suppression, although biannual replacement may be sufficient in the majority of ferrets.

Evaluation of a novel feather scoring system for monitoring feather damaging behaviour in parrots.

Feather damaging behaviour is common in captive psittacine birds and there is a need for reliable methods to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic and preventive interventions. This study compared the inter- and intra-observer reliabilities of a novel feather scoring system with an existing system to assess the plumage of grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Regions of the body were photographed separately at 1 week intervals and shown at random to 35 examiners (avian veterinarians and veterinary students), who used the two scoring systems to assess plumage. Since the quality of the photographs was insufficient to allow accurate assessment of the individual flight and tail feathers, the novel scoring system was only evaluated for its reliability regarding covert and down feathers. Inter- and intra-observer reliabilities were determined using the intra-class correlation coefficient. Bland-Altman analysis was performed to determine absolute reliabilities for both systems. Correlation coefficients were 0.90 and 0.95 for intra-observer reliability and 0.83 and 0.89 for inter-observer reliability for the existing and novel feather scoring systems, respectively. When using the novel system, a change in plumage condition of ≥10% was needed to ensure that the change reflected a real difference in 95% of cases, while a change of ≥15% was needed for the existing system. Since it may take from 4 weeks (covert or down feathers) to over 1 year (flight or tail feathers) for feathers to regrow, sufficient time should be allowed to elapse between two scoring sessions to reliably evaluate the efficacy of preventive or therapeutic interventions for feather damaging behaviour.

Rabbit Oncology : Diseases, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics

Neoplasia has long been reported as a rare finding in rabbits, but over the past decades the number of reports on neoplastic disease in rabbits has risen considerably. Similar to other animals, neoplastic changes may occur in any organ system, but the rate in which the organ systems are affected differs considerably. In rabbits, tumors have predominantly been found in the urogenital, hemolymphatic, and integumentary systems. This article discusses current insights on the etiopathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis, and treatment of the commonest neoplastic diseases in rabbits and offer guidelines for the correct diagnosis and treatment of the rabbit oncologic patient.

Successful treatment of sebaceous adenitis in a rabbit with ciclosporin and triglycerides.

A 4-year-old rabbit was presented with a chronic exfoliative dermatitis and patchy alopecia. General physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Skin scrapings and fungal culture were negative. A blood sample was obtained for a complete blood cell count and biochemical profile, and yielded results that were within normal limits. Radiographic examination of the thorax excluded the presence of a thymoma. Histopathology of the skin showed orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, absence of sebaceous glands and mural lymphocytic folliculitis, consistent with sebaceous adenitis. Oral treatment was started with ciclosporin dissolved in a medium-chain triglyceride solution (Miglyol 812), combined with essential fatty acids and topical propylene glycol sprays. Within 2 months of treatment, complete regression of skin lesions and regrowth of hair was observed. Serum chemistry values including kidney and liver function tests remained within reference range during the course of treatment. Histopathological examination of control biopsies of the skin showed presence of normal sebaceous glands and active hair follicles. Treatment was changed to a different pharmaceutical formulation of ciclosporin without Miglyol and deterioration of clinical signs was noticed. Using pure Miglyol 812, however, resulted in a gradual improvement of 60%. A nearly complete response was again observed after re-administration of the combination ciclosporin/Miglyol. It is hypothesized that sebaceous adenitis in the rabbit is most likely due to an autoimmune reaction directed at the sebaceous glands and a defect in lipid metabolism. The outcome indicates that a combination of ciclosporin and Miglyol 812 is a promising new treatment for sebaceous adenitis in rabbits.

The composition and initial evaluation of a grimace scale in ferrets after surgical implantation of a telemetry probe

Reliable recognition of pain is difficult in ferrets as many currently available parameters are non-specific, inconsistent and/or impractical. Grimace scales have successfully been applied to assess pain in different animal species and might also be applicable to ferrets. To compose a Ferret Grimace Scale (FGS), we studied the facial musculature of ferrets and compared lateral photographs of 19 ferret faces at six time points before and after intraperitoneal telemetry probe implantation. We identified the Action Units (AUs) orbital tightening, nose bulging, cheek bulging, ear changes and whisker retraction as potential indicators of pain in ferrets. To evaluate whether these AUs could reliably be used to identify photographs taken before and after surgery, the photographs were scored 0, 1 or 2 (not, moderately or obviously present) by 11 observers that were blinded to the treatment and timing of the photographs. All AU-scores assigned to the photographs taken five hours after surgery were significantly higher compared to their time-matched baseline scores. Further analysis using the weights that were obtained using a Linear Discriminant Analysis revealed that scoring orbital tightening alone was sufficient to make this distinction with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Including weighted scores for nose bulging, cheek bulging and ear change did not change this. As these AUs had more missing values than orbital tightening, their descriptions should be re-evaluated. Including whisker retraction, which had a negative weight, resulted in lower accuracy and should therefore in its current form be left out of the FGS. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the FGS and the AU orbital tightening in particular could be useful in a multifactorial pain assessment protocol for ferrets. However, before applying the FGS in practice, it should be further validated by incorporating more time points before and after applying (different) painful stimuli, and different levels of analgesia.

Medication for Behavior Modification in Birds

The use of behavior modifying drugs may be considered in birds with behavior problems, especially those refractory to behavior modification therapy and environmental management. To accomplish behavior change, a variety of drugs can be used, including psychoactive drugs, hormones, antihistamines, analgesics, and anticonvulsants. Because their prescription to birds is off-label, these drugs are considered appropriate only when a sound rationale can be provided for their use. This requires a (correct) behavioral diagnosis to be established. In addition, regular monitoring and follow-up are warranted to determine the efficacy of the treatment and evaluate the occurrence of potential adverse side effects.

Thyroid adenocarcinoma in two parrots

A Grey parrot and a Yellow-crowned Amazon were presented with severe respiratory distress and weight loss, and collapse and melena, respectively. Despite supportive therapy, both parrots quickly succumbed and died, with no ante-mortem diagnosis made. Postmortem examinations yielded a diagnosis of a follicular and papillary form of thyroid adenocarcinoma. Although thyroid neoplasia has been reported in birds, these two cases are the first described thyroid neoplasia in these parrot species and the first reported papillary form of thyroid adenocarcinoma in birds.

Low-Stress Medication Techniques in Birds and Small Mammals

Low-stress medication principles and techniques are key aspects of optimal health care delivery for birds and small mammals. When paired with the medical details of patient management, by balancing medication techniques, the probability of clinical success on the highest ethical and welfare criteria can be greatly enhanced. This review addresses both the effects and the disadvantages of using forceful, coercive, and fear-evoking methods as well as the benefits, principles, and possible applications of low-stress medication in the veterinary setting.

Upper respiratory tract disease

Respiratory tract disease is a common cause of illness in pet birds. Many respiratory diseases quickly develop into life-threatening emergencies. Early recognition of clinical signs combined with rapid diagnosis and adequate therapy are important to increase the chances of a successful outcome. This chapter deals with the clinical signs, differential diagnosis and systematic approach to diseases involving the three parts of the upper respiratory tract. Case examples: Canary with obstructed naris; Cockatiel with swelling below the eye; Gyrfalcon with dyspnoea and stridor. The chapter also includes four video clips.