Fluorescent Feathers Critical To Budgie MatingApril 17, 2009 Kathryn Arnold of the University of Glasgow led a research team that found the fluorescent yellow feathers on budgies' heads play a vital role in attracting mates. The team found male and female budgerigars preferred brighter plumage when choosing a mate, after using odorless sunscreen to dim fluorescent feathers' on some of the birds that were studied. When the birds were exposed to the same sex, the level of fluorescence did not distract from social interaction. The researchers concluded that fluorescence contributes to attracting sexual partners. Arnold's findings may apply to other birds, as she has examined more than 60 species and discovered most of the feathers that were found to be fluorescent are used in courtship displays. Arnold's findings were published in the January 4 issue of Science.
SPONSORED CONTENTHow can you help new pet owners keep their new dogs protected?See why new dog owners and their pets can benefit from simple triple protection in one monthly chew. + See the Difference
Avian Anatomy Aids Endoscopic ProceduresApril 17, 2009 Birds' unique anatomy and physiology make them perfect candidates for endoscopy. They have air sacs in addition to lungs but they don't have diaphragms. Mammals must have carbon dioxide pumped into their peritoneal cavities in order to more easily identify organs through endoscopy. This is not required, nor advised, in avian species, because of the natural inflation of the air sacs. Equipment and Care Many types of equipment are used to visualize birds' internal organs. Otoscopes with small cones designed for canine and feline ear canals have been employed; however, these provide a low level of light, poor magnification and are not recommended. A tubular endoscope that utilizes an otoscope/ophthalmoscope base may be upgraded with a halogen light source. Endoscopes designed for human medicine have played a role in avian medicine. However, the best systems have been designed specifically for the needs of avian and exotic animal veterinarians. For most general practices, a 2.7 mm rigid endoscope between 170 and 190 mm long is probably the most useful. This telescope can be used for birds weighing between 55 and 4,000 grams. A 1.9 mm diameter telescope is the smallest device used in small birds (less than …
Trauma And Disease Threaten Ferret Eyes And LivesApril 17, 2009 Mark Burgess, DVM, who practices in Beaverton, Oregon remembers a ferret that was brought into his clinic with both eyes hanging out of its head. "The owners had closed the recliner and not realized that their ferret had its head stuck in there. This popped out both of the ferret's eyes, and the ferret became instantly blind," Dr. Burgess said. The ferret's eyes were swollen and damaged, so the best thing that could be done for it was to remove its eyes and close the area up. "The ferret's hair eventually grew back in and today it looks like it was just born without eyes," Burgess said. "It runs around like normal and does fine." That particular case was rather unusual the way it happened, Burgess said. But eye traumas in general are fairly common occurrences in his practice. "Ferrets are very inquisitive and can get hurt when they're snooping around. Or their eyes might become scratched when two ferrets are rough-housing with each other, or they could have a run-in with a cat," Burgess said. A veterinarian at an exotics practice is also likely to have to treat ferret injuries. …
Treatments Recommended For Avian Respiratory ProblemsApril 17, 2009"We're seeing much fewer respiratory problems in pet birds today than we did 10 or 15 years ago, and that's primarily due to improved husbandry," said Brian Speer, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, who has a practice in Oakley, Calif. Some of the deadliest respiratory diseases in times past, such as pox, are rarely seen today, Dr. Speer said. But, bacterial and fungal pneumonias, aspergillosis and severe respiratory distress are still common. This, Speer speculated, is in big part caused by an increase in "germ phobia" in our society. "A lot of pet owners are scrubbing their bird's cage daily with very powerful disinfectants," he said. "This can weaken a bird's defense mechanisms and make it susceptible to innocuation with an opportunistic infection." The incidence and types of respiratory disease seen vary depending on geography and whether the birds are kept in aviaries or as pets. "Bird owners in the Midwest or South, where there's higher humidity, are going to have a greater incidence of respiratory disease than bird owners living on the West Coast, where it's drier," said Larry Nemetz, DVM, a birds-only veterinarian in Santa Ana, Calif. Large indoor flocks are at a greater risk for bacterial …
Too Much Vitamin C Worsens Guinea Pig ArthritisApril 17, 2009 High doses of vitamin C increased the severity of spontaneous knee osteoarthritis in guinea pigs, according to a recent study by Duke University Medical Centers. The finding contradicts earlier short-term studies in guinea pigs and an epidemiologic study in humans that suggested vitamin C and its antioxidant properties might protect against osteoarthritis, said Virginia Kraus, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center. "It's possible that brief exposure to high levels of vitamin C offers antioxidant effects with a minimum of side effects, while prolonged exposure results in deleterious effects," she said. The researchers fed the guinea pigs low (3 mg per day), medium (30 mg per day) and high (150 mg) doses of vitamin C over eight months. At the end of that period, they found the high dose guinea pigs developed more cartilage damage and had more bony spurs form in their knees than the other groups. In studying the spurs, the researchers found a protein that leads to spur formation and can be activated by vitamin C. Their conclusion, pending additional study in humans, is that people should not supplement their dietary vitamin C levels above the recommended daily …
