parrotLife_Printers-3 (Page 1) - Rolf C. Hagen Inc.

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Dr. Corina Lupu
is a graduate of the
Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine of the
University of Montreal
and is a board certified
specialist in the field of
avian medicine. Her
career, which spans
25 years, began with a
3-month apprenticeship
in Chicago with the late
Dr. Ted Lafeber Sr.
Her appreciation and
respect for birds born
out of this experience
have intensified over
the years.
Dr. Lupu owns and
operates the Montreal
Bird and Exotic
Veterinary Hospital,
which is devoted exclusively
to birds and
exotic animals.
She also teaches avian
medicine at the Faculty
of Veterinary Medicine
of the University of
Montreal and has lectured
over the years to
various groups,
professional and
non-professional alike.
Dr. Lupu has developed
a special interest in
Parrot behaviour and
advocates vigorously
for responsible parrot
ownership.
VETERINARIAN CASE REPORT
A case of nasal
infection in a
52-year-old parrot
A 52-year-old Cuban Amazon named Coco was
brought to us because she had developed
three small "holes" in her upper beak. This was
an unusual presentation. The holes were situated
just below the right nostril and appeared as
though they had been drilled into the horny
beak. These 1-2 mm diameter perforations
were filled with what appeared to be dried
blood. We also found that the right cere, the
fleshy area around the nostril, was swollen and
red. She scratched this area often, rubbing her
face on her perch or using her foot.
The swollen nostril indicated that there was an
inflammation in the nasal cavity. We could not
explain the holes in the beak.
The rest of her physical examination was normal.
She was fed a balanced diet. Blood tests
were normal and X-rays as well. The internal
nares were cultured and after several tries, a
bacterium was isolated. This bacterium is one
that thrives in the upper respiratory system,
and causes damage by producing a substance,
which destroys living tissues.
We knew we were dealing with an infection of
the right nasal cavity and a possible fistula (a
tunnel burrowed by the bacteria) from the
inside of the nasal cavity, through the bony and
horny tissues of the beak, to the outside.
We treated the bird with a combination of
antibiotics administered by injection and locally
by flushing the nasal cavity with medicated
saline. Over the course of a month, we saw the
dark crusts in the holes clear up, the cere
return to normal, and the itching stop. All was
well, or so we thought.
Periodic follow-ups showed that the holes were
slowly migrating down the beak as the beak
grew. Eventually they disappeared. However,
twelve months after the first incident, new holes
appeared, and the cere was again inflamed.
We repeated the identical treatment, as it had
been successful the first time, but for a longer
duration. We believed we were dealing with a
recurrence of the condition, because not ALL
the bacteria had been eliminated during the
first course of treatment and we thought we
might be dealing with a very tenacious or
resistant strain. Once more, the treatment was
effective, the inflammation subsided, the hole
migrated down the beak and all returned to
normal for twelve months.
At that time, a third recurrence of the problem
made us look deeper into the situation. We no
longer believed the treatment to be at fault.
Was this birds’ immune system weakened by
her advanced age? Was there an unchecked
source of contamination?
After thorough discussions with the clients, we
realized that Coco used a rope perch, to
soothe her aging tender feet. This perch had
been in the cage all along and Coco had been
rubbing her beak on it from the beginning.
Furthermore, the condition always appeared in
the spring when Coco ate more fruit, wiping the
fruit residue from her beak onto to perch.
Although the perch was wiped clean regularly,
it was never cleaned in depth.
The suspect perch was replaced by a new
one, which was henceforth washed in the
dishwasher weekly.
The take home lessons of Coco’s adventure are
twofold. Firstly, debris can accumulate in the
most unsuspected areas in even a meticulously
clean environment: the perch in this case,
under cage bottom pull out trays, at the junction
of cage wires, in the hinges of food clips,
etc. Bacteria are microscopic and hide in the
nooks and crannies of a bird’s environment.
Most will not survive unless they are surrounded
by organic material such as secretions,
droppings or food debris. Hence, while
disinfecting is important, it is more important