Managing the Avian Emergency and Critical Care Patient

general principles of avian emergency and critical care
Often the emergency visit is the first veterinary visit. a thorough history and signalment can be crucial to the diagnosis. Many avian emergencies are acute presentations of chronic disease. Most bird mask signs of illness until they are so severe they can no longer be hidden.

In some cases hospitalization and supportive care are required before performing a physical examination. if in doubt as to stability, always place the bird in a warm quiet, oxygen environment while taking the history or preparing initial therapeutics. an overly aggressive initial approach may result in a dead patient.

Assessment of the critically ill avian patient

Physical Examination
obtain a patient body weight to determine initial dosages of supportive care therapies. a quick, initial assessment covering important organ systems may be completed within three minutes with minimal physical restraint.

A bird that is sleeping in the examination room should be a warning that the bird may already be unstable. Make the owner aware that the bird may require intensive support- ive care before obtaining a diagnosis. Dark green, scant, or absent feces can be a sign of anorexia. Differentiating stress polyuria from true polyuria can be difficult. yellow or green urates suggest hepatic disease. Can the bird perch? is the bird symmetrically weight bearing? is there any evidence of a wing droop? [...]