Veterinary Clinical Reference
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Evergreen, evidence-based hubs on the drugs, conditions, and species you manage — continuously updated and cited at every claim.
Proventricular Dilatation Disease and Avian Bornavirus (PaBV) in Psittacines: Why Infection Is Not Disease, and the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Biosecurity Reality
Clinical reference on proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) and parrot bornavirus (PaBV) in psittacines: the crucial distinction that infection is not disease, the immune-mediated lymphoplasmacytic ganglioneuritis, the GI and neurologic presentations, why antemortem diagnosis is hard and a positive PaBV test does not confirm PDD, the contested NSAID and immunosuppressive treatment evidence, biosecurity for managing subclinical carriers, and the zoonosis question.
Read →Feather-Destructive Behavior in Psittacines: Working Up the Plucking Parrot Before Labeling It Behavioral
Clinical reference for feather-destructive behavior (FDB) in parrots: why it is a clinical sign and not a diagnosis, the head-versus-body distribution rule, the organized medical differential, the diagnostic work-up that must exclude organic disease first, environmental and reproductive management, the honest evidence base for psychotropic drugs (with verified doses), and prognosis.
Read →Hypocalcemia in Psittacines and the African Grey Hypocalcemic Syndrome: Emergency Calcium Dosing, Diagnosis, and Long-Term Management
Clinical reference for hypocalcemia in psittacines with a focus on the African grey (Psittacus erithacus) syndrome: emergency parenteral calcium gluconate dosing and route safety, ionized versus total calcium, the seizing-parrot differential, and long-term dietary, vitamin D3, UVB, and reproductive management.
Read →Avian Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver Disease) in Companion Psittacines: A Clinical Reference for Veterinarians
Hepatic lipidosis is a common, often reversible cause of hepatic dysfunction in overweight seed-fed psittacines. This reference covers pathophysiology and risk factors, clinical signs, bile-acid/GLDH-led diagnosis, the diet-conversion cornerstone of treatment, and honestly-graded drug dosing for the point of care.
Read →Avian Heavy Metal Toxicosis: Lead and Zinc Poisoning in Pet Birds
Lead and zinc are the two most common heavy metal toxicoses in pet birds, presenting with nonspecific GI and neurologic signs. This clinical reference covers sources, pathophysiology, blood-level diagnosis, the radiography caveat, CaEDTA and DMSA chelation dosing with GI decontamination sequencing, prognosis, and prevention.
Read →Egg Binding and Dystocia in Pet Birds: A Veterinary Clinical Reference
Egg binding (failure to pass an egg within the normal interval) and dystocia (mechanical obstruction of oviposition) are common, life-threatening emergencies in small psittacines such as cockatiels, budgerigars, and lovebirds. This reference covers definitions, hypocalcemia and husbandry risk factors, radiographic diagnosis, and the evidence-based treatment ladder from stabilization and parenteral calcium through PGE2 gel, oxytocin, ovocentesis, and salpingohysterectomy.
Read →Avian Aspergillosis in Birds: Aspergillus fumigatus Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Antifungal Treatment
A clinical reference on avian aspergillosis for veterinarians: how Aspergillus fumigatus causes opportunistic respiratory and systemic disease in psittacines, raptors, waterfowl, and penguins; why presentation is insidious; how to combine endoscopy, imaging, hematology, and serology for diagnosis; and evidence-based antifungal dosing — including the reduced itraconazole dose required in African grey parrots and voriconazole's species-specific toxicity.
Read →Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD): Diagnosis, Management, and Prognosis
DVM reference on PBFD (beak and feather disease virus, a circovirus): the peracute-to-chronic clinical spectrum, PCR on blood and feather pulp with repeat testing to separate transient from persistent infection, supportive care with no specific antiviral, biosecurity, and prognosis.
Read →Avian Chlamydiosis (Chlamydia psittaci / Psittacosis) in Psittacine Birds: Diagnosis, Doxycycline Treatment, and Zoonotic Control
DVM guide to avian chlamydiosis (Chlamydia psittaci/psittacosis) in psittacines: doxycycline dosing and the 45-day course, PCR/serology testing, environmental decontamination, and NASPHV reporting duties.
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