HEMATOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND METAL CONTAMINANT LEVELS IN WILD-CAUGHT CLAPPER RAIL (RALLUS CREPITANS) IN NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA.

The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans) is native to salt marshes along the eastern United States. Populations are likely stable, but may be at risk due to the degradation of wetland habitat by contaminants. Contaminants can cause adverse effects in birds such as alteration of immune and reproductive function, and previous studies have used this species as a sentinel for estuarine health. Blood samples were collected from clapper rails in Florida and hematology counts, plasma biochemistry panels, and metal assessments using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry were performed. Biochemical and hematology data were too limited to determine if contaminants were adversely affecting clapper rails in this study, but cadmium, lead, and zinc were increased for several birds. Although contaminant levels were not consistently elevated for all birds, additional research is needed to assess if clapper rails in this region are at risk of contaminant exposure due to increasing urbanization and development pressures.

Intravenous and intraosseous regional limb perfusion of ceftiofur sodium in an avian model.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether IV regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) and intraosseous regional limb perfusion (IORLP) of ceftiofur sodium resulted in clinically relevant drug concentrations in the synovial fluid of the tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal joint of chickens (ie, an avian model) and to determine whether one of those techniques was superior to the other. ANIMALS: 12 healthy adult hens. PROCEDURES: Birds were randomly assigned to receive ceftiofur sodium (2 mg/kg) by the IVRLP (n = 4), IORLP (4), or IM (control; 4) route once daily for 6 consecutive days. Blood and tibiotarsal-tarsometatarsal synovial fluid samples were collected 15 minutes after ceftiofur administration on predetermined days for quantification of ceftiofur concentration. Plasma and synovial fluid ceftiofur concentrations were compared among the 3 groups. RESULTS: All 4 birds in the IVRLP group developed mild to moderate bruising around the injection site, but this bruising did not prohibit completion of the prescribed treatment regimen. No adverse effects were observed in any of the other birds. The mean plasma and synovial fluid ceftiofur concentrations exceeded the therapeutic threshold for most common bacterial pathogens (> 1.0 µg/mL) at all sample acquisition times for all 3 groups. The mean synovial fluid ceftiofur concentration for the IVRLP group was significantly greater than that for the IORLP and control groups at all sample acquisition times. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that IVRLP may be a safe and effective technique for antimicrobial administration to birds with joint infections, contaminated wounds, pododermatitis, and other musculoskeletal infections of the distal aspect of a limb.