Abstract
Question #l: We have a wildcaught male Red-lored Amazon which is approximately five years old. He has repeated periods of sneezing which is accompanied by a clear nasal discharge. This has intermittently recurred over several years. It has recurred again. The following organisms have been cultured at different times: Pseudomonas and Candida, then normal flora was recultured after treatment with Baytril and Nystatin, Enterobacter which was treated with Baytril injections and Gentocin nasal flushes, Klebsiella was cultured, and then a yeast was cultured. This was then cultered negative. Why does this bird belong to the "bug of the month club", and why do the cultures show something different every time he is tested and is there anything else we can do to make him better?D. Monahan, Montana
Answer #1: Rhinitis (nasal discharge) is a symptom of sinusitis, a common problem in Amazon parrots. Predisposing factors to chronic sinusitis poorly responsive to antibiotics include malnutrition, especially vitamin A deficiency, scarring or absessation of the sinuses and the presence of chlamydia!, mycoplasmal or fungal infections. Your parrot should have a thorough physical examination including psittacosis titer and diet evaluation along with cytology, gram stain and culture of a sinus aspirate to determine the cause of the sinusitis. If no predisposing factors can be determined, then an extended course of oral or injectable antibiotics based on culture and sensitivity of the isolated organism and regular sinus flushings should be given. If the problem still fails to clear up, additional diagnostic tests including radiology and endoscopy of the sinus to rule out abscesses, masses, and scar tissue should be performed.
Answer #2: Recurring upper respiratory problems can result from many different causes. The fact that your Red-lored Amazon had positive recurring bacterial and yeast cultures with several organisms each time is an indication that the bacterial component of this problem is secondary. The primary cause can be anything from nutritional, particularly involving a vitamin A deficiency, to a viral or mycoplasmal infection or nasal foreign body. Although uncommon, an allergic rhinitis is possible. It would be prudent to have a complete evaluation of the bird's nutritional status and do a workup which should include, at least, a complete blood count and chemistry profile and an X-ray.
Robert B. Altman, DVM
Franklin Square, New York
Answer #3: "Bug of the month club" bird certainly has a problem. In my experience, this sort of history seems to be associated with a bird that is being exposed to large numbers of organisms, or is on a poor diet, or has a poorly functioning immune system. It could also have a combination of these problems.
You mentioned that cultures were done. Was a complete workup performed? I would look to three areas: 1) Nutrition: is the bird on a good, complete diet? 2) Exposure: is the bird's cage and environment clear and sanitary? 3) Loss of homeostasis: are the bird's blood count and other biochemical test values normal? Ask your veterinarian to explore this further. James M. Harris, DVM
Oakland, California
Answer #4: Certain species of birds seem to have species-related predilections for different types of problems, and this is true for Amazon parrots and sinus problems. Amazon parrots often are presented with sinusitis/ rhinitis type problems, with a variety of predisposing and identifiable causes. Hence, your experiences with your Red-lored Amazon are not that uncommon. Common predisposing causes for sinusitis in Amazons would be a history of chronic malnutrition, which usually involves a long term diet consisting of parrot seed mix (usually based on sunflower seeds or safflower seeds), with or without table food supplementation. Diets such as these are characteristically imbalanced, particularly in excessive fat content and deficiency of vitamin A, which microscopically predisposes an individual to invasion of microscopic pathogens such as harmful bacteria and yeast. To resolve your Amazon's problems, you should consult with a knowledgeable avian veterinarian to assess both predisposing and specific causes for your bird's problems. A thorough review of the bird's diet, environment, in...