Intercostal celiotomy for removal of proventriculus foreign body in muscovy duck (Cairina moschata): case report / Celiotomia intercostal para remoção de corpo estranho do proventrículo de pato-do-mato (Cairina Moschata): relato de caso]

Ducks, geese and swans are included in the Anatidae family, Anseriformes order. The leading injuries causes to waterfowl are tangling in fishing materials and foreign bodies ingestion. A muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) was referred for treatment at Veterinary Teaching Hospital and a radiographic examination showed the presence of a hook in the coelom. Surgical exposure and incision of the proventriculus was made through left intercostal access and the hook along with a fishing line were gently removed. The animal began to feed voluntarily at the fourth post-operative day and two weeks after the procedure the patient was clinically well and was released to wild. This surgical approach differs in some aspects from the listed techniques in the known literature. It proved to be a viable and appropriate alternative to treat this affection since it did not cause any trans- or post-operative complications and enabled rapid recovery and subsequent patient release.(AU)

Patos, gansos e cisnes estão incluídos na família Anatidae, ordem Anseriformes. Entre as principais causas de ferimentos em aves aquáticas, o embaraço com materiais de pesca e a ingestão de corpos estranhos são os mais citados. Um pato-do-mato (Cairina moschata) foi encaminhado para tratamento no Hospital Veterinário e, mediante exame radiográfico, verificou-se a presença de um anzol na cavidade celomática, provavelmente no proventrículo. Utilizando-se o acesso intercostal esquerdo, foi feita a exposição e a incisão do proventrículo. Por meio dessa incisão, o anzol com um segmento de linha de pesca foi delicadamente retirado. O animal começou a se alimentar voluntariamente no quarto dia pós-operatório e duas semanas após o procedimento o paciente se encontrava clinicamente bem e apto à soltura. Esta abordagem cirúrgica difere, em alguns aspectos, das técnicas listadas na literatura e provou ser uma alternativa viável e adequada ao caso, não causando complicações e permitindo recuperação rápida, com posterior soltura do animal.(AU)

Survival of captive and free-ranging Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) following surgical liver biopsy.

We measured intra- and postoperative mortality rates of captive and free-ranging Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) undergoing surgical liver biopsy sampling for determination of the induction of cytochrome P4501A, a biomarker of oil exposure. Liver biopsies were taken from and radio transmitters were implanted into 157 free-ranging Harlequin Ducks over three winters (55 in 2000, 55 in 2001, and 47 in 2002). No birds died during surgery, but seven (4.5%) died during recovery from anesthesia (three in 2001 and four in 2002). None of the deaths could be attributed directly to the liver biopsy. Four of the 150 (2.7%) birds that were released died in the 2 wk period after surgery. All post-release deaths occurred in 2001; no birds died after release in 2000 or 2002. No mortalities of 36 captive birds occurred during surgery or recovery or in the 2 wk period following surgery. Hemorrhage was a minor problem with one captive bird. Surgical liver biopsies appear to be a safe procedure, but anesthetic complications may occur with overwintering ducks.

Development of an avian brachial plexus nerve block technique for perioperative analgesia in mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

Surgical procedures of the wing are commonly performed in companion, captive, and wild avian species. To develop a clinically applicable brachial plexus nerve block technique for perioperative analgesia in birds, 8 adult female mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were anesthetized and used in several local anesthetic trials with bupivacaine (2 or 8 mg/kg) or a combination of lidocaine (15 mg/kg) and epinephrine (3.8 microg/kg) perineurally; equal volumes of saline were administered as control treatments. Both axillary and dorsal approaches to the brachial plexus were evaluated. With the axillary approach, radial and ulnar compound nerve action potentials (CNAP), sensory nerve conduction velocities (SNCVs), and cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) were recorded after distal sensory nerve stimulation. Values were recorded before and at 5, 30, and 60 minutes after injection of local anesthetic or saline. Birds were monitored for the presence of a wing droop and a change in motor function on recovery from anesthesia. Results were highly variable for all techniques. No technique significantly decreased CDPs or resulted in consistent wing droop. Radial and ulnar CNAPs, SNCVs, and CDPs were consistently recorded in all birds. Variable results might indicate that the treatment, concentration, or volume of local anesthetic used was ineffective in producing local anesthesia. Electrodiagnostic methods used in these ducks to assess loss of sensory nerve conduction might not be sensitive enough to assess the effects of local anesthesia. Further research is needed to identify methods for assessing the efficacy of brachial plexus nerve blockade in birds.

Tracheal resection and anastomosis in a mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) with traumatic segmental tracheal collapse.

A male mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) presented for examination for acute respiratory distress and lethargy. The duck had experienced recurrent episodes of respiratory distress since being attacked by a raccoon the previous year, resulting in neck lacerations. Diagnostic tests, including a complete blood count, plasma biochemical analysis, radiography, and tracheoscopy, revealed a collapsed trachea. Surgical correction of the collapsed tracheal segment resulted in resection of 9% of the total tracheal length and subsequent anastomosis. Tracheoscopy performed 2 and 3 months after surgery revealed a healthy mucosa, minimal reduction of the tracheal lumen in the area of anastomosis, and minimal suture granuloma formation.

[Treatment of breast injuries in marine ducks hospitalized at a wildlife shelter]. / Traitement des plaies du bréchet de canards marins hospitalisés en centre de soins de la faune sauvage.

Seabirds kept in care centers frequently show secondary lesions subsequent to detention conditions: this is the case with scabs. These scabs are very often looked upon as a cause for euthanasia, mainly after an ecological disaster, such as an oil spill, when the number of oiled birds is very large. Seaducks (Melanitta nigra, Melanitta fuscus, Somateria mollissima) were very numerous at the Veterinary School of Nantes after the wreck of the tanker Erika in December 1999. A protocol for the treatment of sternum wounds of seaducks is described. This protocol had a high success rate, with more than 65% of the treated Scoters being completely healed and more than 40% being either released or removed to Dutch care centers to await their molt.

Surgical and immediate post-release mortality of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) implanted with abdominal radio transmitters with percutaneous antennae.

Radiotelemetry is an essential tool in the study of free-ranging bird populations, and a variety of transmitter-attachment methods have been developed. A promising new method is abdominal implantation of a transmitter with a percutaneous antenna. Researchers using this technique should be concerned about and aware of mortality during surgery and during the immediate post-release period (the 14-day period following surgery). Of 307 radio-implant surgeries performed between 1995 and 1997 in harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus), 7 (2.3%) deaths were documented during surgery or anesthetic recovery. Of 295 birds released with implanted radios, 10 (3.4%) died during the immediate post-release period. Modifications to anesthetic procedures used in the 204 surgeries performed in 1996 and 1997 reduced mortality to 1.5% during surgery and 1.5% during the immediate post-release period. Anesthetic modifications included intubation of all birds, placement of birds on an elevated platform that allowed the head to rest at a level lower than the body during surgery, placement of a heated water blanket under the birds during surgery, monitoring of body temperature, and use of electrocardiogram and Doppler ultrasound to monitor heart rates and arrhythmias. Low levels of mortality associated with abdominal implantation of radio transmitters may be unavoidable, but mortality can be minimized with adjustments to anesthetic technique.

The influence of cecectomy on metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility of select feedstuffs for white Pekin ducks.

Twenty-four cecectomized and 24 intact White Pekin ducks were used in two experiments to assess the influence of cecectomy on ME and amino acid digestibility of several feed ingredients for ducks. Corn and soybean meal (SBM) were evaluated in Experiment 1, and bakery meal (BM), red dog (RD), and wheat middlings (WM) were evaluated in Experiment 2. Nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy and amino acid digestibility of the ingredients were assayed concurrently. In Experiment 1, TME of corn was higher (P < or = 0.05) in cecectomized ducks, and intact ducks demonstrated greater (P < or = 0.05) ability to utilize the energy in SBM. Intact ducks exhibited higher (P < or = 0.05) true digestibilities of lysine and methionine. True digestibility of tryptophan was higher (P < or = 0.05) for cecectomized ducks. True digestibility of indispensable amino acids in SBM did not differ (P > or = 0.05) between cecectomized and intact ducks. In Experiment 2, cecectomized ducks exhibited greater (P < or = 0.05) ability to utilize the energy in RD. Intact ducks exhibited greater (P < or = 0.05) ability to utilize the energy in WM. True digestibility of indispensable amino acids in BM, RD, and WM was variable. Results of the present study suggest that the effect of cecectomy on nutrient digestibility in ducks is dependent on the feedstuff assayed.

A technique for liver biopsy performed in Pekin ducks using anesthesia with Telazol.

Infection of Pekin ducks with duck hepatitis B virus is a useful model for studying the hepadenoviruses, of which human hepatitis B virus is the prototype. The utility of this model has been limited, however, by the difficulties associated with anesthetizing and obtaining liver biopsies from ducks. We developed a technique using Telazol (13 mg/kg) to anesthetize ducks before surgical biopsy of the liver in ducks infected with duck hepatitis B virus. Eight Pekin ducks infected with duck hepatitis B virus underwent serial biopsies at 4- to 5-week intervals. There was one perioperative death in 34 surgical procedures with no evidence on intra-abdominal sepsis or wound complications. Telazol can be used safely and humanely to anesthetized ducks without the need for general endotracheal anesthesia.