Clinical Concerns and Veterinary Management of Kori Bustards (Ardeotis kori) Nancy Boedeker, DVM Smithsonian s National Zoological Park Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Distribution Africa Now 2 distinct populations Non-migratory Habitat Open grasslands Acacia savannah Arid Status: CITES Appendix II Life Span Up to 30 years Kori Bustards
Kori Bustard Anatomy Alimentary Throat sac; males (4x) No crop (tube feeding) Weight Male > Female Seasonal Variation Subspecies/Geographic Variation A. kori struthinuculus (East) A. kori kori (South) One of the heaviest flying birds
Throat Sac (Saccus oralis)
Restraint and Handling Risk of capture myopathy, trauma Minimize handling time Plan ahead Communicate Pretreat with Vitamin E? Avoid heat, direct sun +/- Hood Restrain Legs Minimize trauma to bird and handlers
Isoflurane Injectables? Intubate Especially important for males in breeding condition Monitoring Heart rate, respiratory rate Pulse oximetry, ECG Capnography Temperature Anesthesia
Diagnostics - Bloodwork Complete blood count Variation in WBC ranges Chemistry panel Age related changes Seasonal changes? Liver enzymes, CK Vitamin, mineral panels Vitamin D, E Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus Serology
Other Diagnostics Fecal samples Wet preps motile protozoa Float ova McMaster s quantification Standard fecal wt, dilution Normal values in birds? Livestock: treat >150 eggs/gm Cytology Oropharyngeal swabs Wet prep - protozoa Radiographs Ultrasound, CT/MRI
Medicating Limited PK data for bustards IV, IO, IM, SC, topical Oral often preferred Minimize handling Creativity required Crickets Mice, meat cubes
Hospitalization Minimize noise, disturbances, stress Padded stall Consider a mirror Only if hand raised Non-slippery flooring Monitor appetite, weight
Infectious Disease Viral Vaccination? Depends on specific situation, risk West Nile Virus Avian Pox Newcastle s (PMV 1) Avian influenza Bacterial Septicemia, endotoxemia, infected wounds, yolk sac infection (Staph. aureus) Chlamydophila, Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium, Clostridium, Salmonella, Yersinia, Erysipelothrix, Mycoplasma Fungal Aspergillus prophylactic treatment when stressed Candida albicans oral infection
Infectious Disease - Parasitic Protozoa Trichomonas common in UAE Caseous oropharyngeal plaques Dyspnea, regurgitation, weakness Rare at NZP and less common in US generally Coccidia, Eimeria, Giardia, Histomonas, Entamoeba Haemoproteus (RBCs)
Infectious Disease - Parasitic Cestodes Often asymptomatic Otiditaenia, Ascometra spp Acanthocephala Mediorhynchus taeniatus Nematodes Capillaria Syngamus Oxyurids, Ascarids, Strongyles
Infectious Disease - Parasitic Morbidity (adults) +/- mortality (juveniles) at NZP with Capillaria and Syngamus co-infection Weight loss, lethargy, coughing, eosinophilia (26-30%) Yard contamination from wild birds likely Frequent fecals and weights; routine anthelmintics Capillaria (Thread Worm) Direct life cycle; Seasonality spring/summer Signs: Weight loss, Gastrointestinal Treatment: ivermectin, fenbendazole Syngamus (Gape Worm) Indirect life cycle; Seasonality spring/summer Signs: Respiratory, gaping, suffocation Treatment: fenbendazole
Infectious Disease - Parasitic Capillaria Syngamus
Non-Infectious Disease Developmental Related to diet (protein, Ca, D), rapid growth? Angel wing taping effective #1 cause of morbidity < 1 mo Splay leg, tibiotarsal rotation, metatarsal deformity (bowing), curled digits, chondrodystrophy Failure to thrive Environmental Frostbite (toes) Heat stress
Non-Infectious Disease Capture Myopathy Under reported? Tx fluids, +/- muscle relaxants, +/- Vit E, standing up Prevention is key Hatching-Related Malposition Embryonic death Premature or assisted hatch; failure to hatch
Non-Infectious Disease Cardiovascular (US>UAE?) Arteriosclerosis (aterial hardening) Not uncommon in koris </= 4 yrs Segmental thickening/necrosis in small-medium arteries Etiology unknown in koris» Diet (Vit E); malignant hypertension? Atherosclerosis (lipid plaques) More common in older birds Plaques +/- mineralization In aorta, heart base arteries Thrombosis Aortic aneurysm Myocardial Degeneration Cardiac malformation, rupture
Arteriosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Non-Infectious Disease Hepatic Hemosiderosis/chromatosis Fatty liver, fibrosis, inflammation Amyloid Fracture (trauma) Gastrointestinal Ventricular distention +/- Thin ventricular wall Seen in association with arteriosclerosis lesions Incidental finding??
Non-Infectious Disease Foreign Body Hardware Disease Obstructions/Rupture Perforations/Sepsis Toxicities (heavy metal) Clinical signs Inappetance, swallowing, gaping, regurgitation Diagnosis Radiographs, endoscopy Treatment Endoscopy, surgery +/- Chelation
Non-Infectious Disease Trauma Sites: wings, legs, toes, keel Types: lacerations, punctures, blunt, fractures Sources: self-inflicted, intra/interspecies, environmental Most common cause of morbidity and mortality Flighty nature management techniques are key in prevention
Morbidity and Mortality Surveys Trauma is #1 cause of morbidity and mortality in US and UAE Cagemate aggression Higher than expected incidence of cardiovascular disease in recent US survey Parasitism continues to be a common cause of morbidity, occasionally mortality, esp. in juveniles More GI parasites in US More Trichomonas in UAE Capture myopathy not commonly reported in US
Morbidity and Mortality Surveys Hemosiderosis not uncommon in US populations High mortality in chicks up to 1 yr old in captive and wild populations Trauma Infection bacterial Non-pinioned birds older at death than pinioned birds significance?
Reintroduction: General Medical Considerations Maintain healthy breeding populations Team approach Preventive medicine Vaccinations? Parasite control Quarantine and test incoming birds Biosecurity; Isolate sick birds Health screening Improve diagnostics, treatments Optimize diet, husbandry Meticulous record keeping Necropsy
Reintroduction: General Medical Considerations Release appropriate birds Genetic diversity Disease status Reproductive fitness Minimize infectious disease risk to native and released birds Different disease exposure history of different populations Health screening of native birds Ongoing disease surveillance and morbidity and mortality assessment post-release
Health-Related Research Diet optimization Angel wing; growth rate Cardiovascular disease Hemosiderosis Impactions Iron, protein, Ca, Vit D, E, selenium, cholesterol Less meat and more fiber in the wild? Captive diets vary by institution Comparisons of wild and captive populations
Health-Related Research Parasite management Prevention strategies Yard decontamination Exclude wild birds Quantify treatment efficacy Monitor for resistance Management techniques No pinioning? Decrease transport and handling stress/trauma Enclosure modifications Minimize opportunity for trauma/injury Minimize access to ingestible foreign bodies Assess effect of changes made
Thank You For Your Attention! Any Questions?