Twenty free-ranging spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri; 10 male, 10 female), 11 free-ranging king eiders (Somateria spectabilis; 6 male, 5 female), and 20 female common eiders (Somateria mollissima) were anesthetized with propofol, bupivacaine, and ketoprofen for the surgical implantation of satellite transmitters. Propofol was given to induce and maintain anesthesia (mean total dose, 26.2–45.6 mg/kg IV), bupivacaine (2–10 mg/kg SC) was infused into the incision site for local analgesia, and ketoprofen (2–5 mg/kg IM) was given at the time of surgery for postoperative analgesia. Four of 10 male spectacled eiders and 5 of 6 male king eiders died within 1–4 days after surgery. None of the female spectacled or common eiders and only 1 of the 5 female king eiders died during the same postoperative period. Histopathologic findings in 2 dead male king eiders were severe renal tubular necrosis, acute rhabdomyolysis, and mild visceral gout. Necropsy findings in 3 other dead male king eiders were consistent with visceral gout. We suspect that the perioperative use of ketoprofen caused lethal renal damage in the male eiders. Male eiders may be more susceptible to renal damage than females because of behavioral differences during their short stay on land in mating season. The combination of propofol, bupivacaine, and ketoprofen should not be used to anesthetize free-ranging male eiders, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should not be used perioperatively in any bird that may be predisposed to renal insufficiency.

Fentanyl is a mu opioid agonist with 80–100 times the analgesic potency of morphine. Fentanyl is used in several mammalian species for relief of severe pain, but its use has not been investigated in psittacine birds. To determine the pharmacologic disposition of fentanyl in healthy white cockatoos (Cacatua alba), we measured fentanyl plasma concentrations in sequentially collected samples after administration of fentanyl at 0.01 or 0.02 mg/kg IM. To investigate the analgesic effects of fentanyl in conscious cockatoos, we compared the change in pre- and posttreatment levels of electrical and thermal noxious stimuli necessary to elicit a withdrawal response in birds administered fentanyl at 2 different doses (0.02 mg/kg IM or 0.2 mg/kg SC) and those given saline. Fentanyl was rapidly absorbed and plasma concentrations declined with an elimination half-life of 1.2–1.4 hours. Plasma concentrations considered to be analgesic in humans were maintained for at least 2 hours with the 0.02 mg/kg dose. However, no significant difference was found in analgesic response between birds given saline and those given fentanyl at 0.02 mg/kg IM. Although the 0.2 mg/kg SC dose provided significant analgesia in some birds, fentanyl at this dose is not recommended as a routine analgesic agent because a large volume of drug must be injected and this dose causes hyperactivity in some birds.

The normal flora of free-living red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) has not been well described. We trapped and banded 10 free-living red-tailed hawks and 10 free-living Cooper's hawks during the 1992 fall migration in Marin County, CA, USA. Three choanal and 3 cloacal swabs were collected from each bird to characterize the aerobic bacterial flora. Cloacal swabs were obtained from an additional 24 free-living birds, 13 red-tailed hawks and 11 Cooper's hawks, specifically for isolation of Salmonella species. Moreover, 3 choanal and 3 cloacal swabs were collected for comparison from 7 captive red-tailed hawks and 3 captive Cooper's hawks. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus/Micrococcus species and Corynebacterium species were the most frequent choanal isolates from both free-living and captive red-tailed hawks as well as from free-living Cooper's hawks, while Corynebacterium and Pasteurella species were the most frequent choanal isolates from captive Cooper's hawks. The most frequent cloacal isolates of both free-living and captive red-tailed hawks were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus/Micrococcus species and Streptococcus species; those from free-living Cooper's hawks were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus/Micrococcus species and Escherichia species; and those from captive Cooper's hawks were Escherichia species, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus species, and Streptococcus species. Escherichia species were not isolated from the choana of free-living birds, while Pasteurella species were not isolated from the cloaca of any birds. Corynebacterium species and Bacillus species were isolated from the cloaca of free-living red-tailed hawks and Cooper's hawks but not from captive birds. Salmonella species were isolated from the cloaca of free-living birds of both species but not from captive birds. Although primary bacterial infections are not a common cause of disease in raptors, an understanding of normal microbial flora may help in interpreting the significance of bacterial isolates in ill birds.

A total of 7085 falcons were presented for examination during a 56-month period from September 1998 to May 2003 at the Falcon Specialist Hospital and Research Institute of the Fahad bin Sultan Falcon Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We diagnosed infection with Trichomonas gallinae in 393 of 7085 (5.5%) falcons examined, including 346 (88%) saker falcons (Falco cherrug), 30 (8%) peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), 8 (2%) lanner falcons (Falco biarmicus), 5 (1%) gyr falcons (Falco rusticolus), and 4 (1%) gyr hybrid falcons. Trichomoniasis appears to be directly linked to the traditional Arab falconry practices of training falcons using live domestic pigeons (Columba livia) and feeding them freshly killed domestic pigeons and doves (Streptopelia species). Anatomical sites affected included the oropharynx (63% of birds), crop (31%), esophagus (10%), nasal cavity (4%), infraorbital sinus (5%), and syrinx (2%); more than 1 anatomical site was affected in some birds. The less common, atypical presentations of trichomoniasis could present a diagnostic challenge to the attending clinician. The diagnosis of trichomoniasis was confirmed by observing T gallinae on wet-mount preparations of samples collected from the lesions using moistened microbiology swabs. The primary therapeutic protocol for clinical trichomoniasis included metronidazole at a dosage of 100 mg/kg PO q24h for 3 days and supportive care. At 3–7 days after completing the course of metronidazole, we surgically debrided the trichomonal lesions as necessary, depending on the severity and location of the infection. Resolution of T gallinae infections was satisfactory in most cases. Four falcons died secondary to the infection.

Host defense in chickens against tumors caused by Marek disease virus is by cell-mediated immunity, which is inhibited by stress. In this study, metyrapone, an adrenal blocking agent, was administered to domestic chickens with Marek lymphoid tumors to determine whether cell-mediated response was increased in treated birds. Chickens naturally infected with Marek disease virus were fed a ration containing a narrow optimal dose of metyrapone (500 mg/kg of feed). Untreated control birds were fed the same ration without metyrapone. Visceral lymphoid tumors were absent or regressed in 82% (14/17) of chickens treated with metyrapone and in none (0/18) of the control birds. We conclude that metyrapone resulted in a reduced stress level in treated chickens that increased the effectiveness of T-cell defense against tumor growth.

An adult African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) was examined because of bilateral periorbital swelling of 1-year duration. Ultrasonographic imaging revealed bilateral periorbital and retrobulbar soft tissue swelling, most consistent with fat echogenicity. The bird was euthanatized, and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head were performed postmortem to delineate the extent of the lesions. At necropsy, the periorbital diverticuli of the infraorbital sinus were expanded bilaterally with soft, yellow tissue that elevated the overlying skin and extended into the retrobulbar spaces and the mandible. Histopathologic examination revealed that this mass was a well-differentiated liposarcoma. Liposarcomas are rare neoplasms in avian species, and this is the first reported liposarcoma in an African grey parrot.