The eastern barn owl (Tyto javanica), a sub-group of Tyto alba, the most common species of owl in the world, is classified as “of least concern” under Queensland (Australia) legislation but appears to be affected by urban development. Between August 2010 and December 2021, 412 wild eastern barn owls were presented for treatment to the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. A retrospective study of their medical records shows a strong association between the season and the number of admissions, with a combined total of 80% of admissions occurring in winter and spring (the breeding season for this species) in southeast Queensland. There was no significant association between age and admissions. The most common diagnosis was traumatic injuries, especially in winter and spring. Of all admissions, 46.61% died or were euthanized, 36.17% were transferred to wildlife carers, and 13.83% were discharged from the hospital. We postulate that the breeding season results in an increase in the owls’ activity, in turn resulting in greater risk exposure and increased admissions to veterinary clinics. These findings confirm that and thus provide information about the vulnerability of this species to anthropogenic activities and the implications for outcomes of injured owls.

Assisted breeding technology has important management implications for avian conservation and aviculture but species-specific reproductive information is lacking.This study aimed to develop a successful semen collection for the king quail (Synoicus chinesis) in order to establish baseline seminal characteristics and to explore the effect of flock density on seminal quality.A total of 19 quail consisting of 2 groups of 5 and 4 and 1 group of 10 were housed in 3 separate aviaries located at the University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia during Spring. Morphometrics and morphology (normal and abnormal) of the sperm cells were also described by phase contrast and differential interference microscopy.Semen was sucessfully collected by cloacal massage from 90% of attempts with only minor evidence of faecal or urate contamination. No significant differences in seminal characteristics were found with respect to bird housing density. Mean ± SEM seminal characteristics for 103 ejaculates included volume (1.6 ± 0.02 μL), sperm concentration (8.1 ± 0.5 × 109 mL–1), progressive sperm motility (50.0 ± 0.04%), rate of sperm motility, (2.9 ± 0.13), pH (6.7 ± 0.2), the percentage of live sperm (88.0 ± 0.01%) and the percentage of total abnormal sperm morphology (21.0 ± 0.03%).Cloacal massage proved to be a highly successful technique to collect king quail semen and the seminal characteristics reported here are the future basis of assessing fertility and the application of assisted breeding in the species.

Herpesviruses are ubiquitous viruses which infect a wide range of hosts. Novel herpesviruses are being increasingly detected in free‐ranging bird populations and there are growing concerns for cross‐species infection and spillover events. Herein, multiple sporadic outbreaks of mortality caused by a herpesvirus are described in domestic geese in Queensland, Australia. Goose herpesvirus was initially detected in 1989 in south‐east Queensland, and this article details four further recent outbreaks and reports novel genome sequencing and phylogeny of the preliminarily designated anatid alphaherpesvirus 2 (AnHV‐2). Affected flocks were housed outdoors and comingled with other domesticated and wild anseriforms and other birds which were unaffected by disease. Affected geese displayed anorexia, lethargy, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhoea prior to death within 12–24 hr of the onset of clinical signs. Post‐mortem examinations showed variable hepatic necrosis, splenic necrosis, fibrinonecrotising enteritis, lymphoid necrosis, necrotising thymitis, necrotising adrenalitis, and vasculitis. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, small intestinal mucosal epithelium, thymus, endothelial cells, ovarian stromal cells, adrenal cortical cells, and neuronal cell bodies in peripheral nerve ganglia. Transmission electron microscopy visualised herpesviral particles in virus culture supernatant, and within the nuclei of hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, and endothelial cells in case tissues. The genome sequence of this herpesvirus, designated anatid alphaherpesvirus 2 (AnHV‐2), is described. While investigating goose mortalities, archived isolate from a swan with suspected herpesvirus infection was tested and genome sequencing identified a further novel herpesvirus, proposed anatid alphaherpesvirus 3 (AnHV‐3). The AnHV‐2 and AnHV‐3 genomes were more similar to each other, with a nucleotide identity of 76.1%, than to reference genome sequences. Phylogenetically, the new genomes formed a distinct clade within the alphaherpesvirus genus Mardivirus. We sequenced four AnHV‐2 genomes from different cases and these did not display consistent divergence over time or distance. Expanded surveillance and outbreak testing are recommended, facilitated by the development of a specific real‐time PCR for the rapid detection of AnHV‐2.

Background: Bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) are one of the most popular reptile pets globally. As their longevity increases with better care and nutrition, conditions common to many older animals, such as neoplasia, may be increasing in incidence. Many tumours are not amenable to surgical resection and are poorly responsive to systemic chemotherapy. Treatment modalities such as cryosurgery and radiation may achieve a good short-term result, but recurrence is common. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) increases the permeability of tumours cells to many chemotherapeutics such as bleomycin and cisplatin, which would otherwise require high systemic doses to achieve their effect. Case description: An adult Bearded dragon was diagnosed with a fibrosarcoma of the rostral maxillary mucocutaneous region, based on an incisional biopsy of the lesion. As surgical resection was considered unlikely to be unsuccessful, ECT combined with cisplatin was used to treat the animal. Results: Mass regression was observed and, 2 years after treatment, it remains in remission with no macroscopic evidence of tumor recurrence. Conclusions and case relevance: While ECT is a well-accepted modality in veterinary oncology, there have only been a few reports of its use in reptiles. ECT with cisplatin or bleomycin may offer substantial benefit for the treatment of cutaneous tumours in reptiles.

This case series describes polycystic kidney disease in 3 (2 male, 1 female) 2-month-old, juvenile rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus). The lorikeets diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease were the progeny of full sibling parents that were being intentionally line bred for the purpose of establishing a rainbow lorikeet with the blue color mutation. Clinically the juvenile lorikeets were presented with clinical signs of lethargy, dehydration, regurgitation, anorexia, polyuria, and pelvic limb paresis. Multiple abnormalities were identified on the complete blood count and plasma biochemistry panel, including a normocytic normochromic nonregenerative anemia, hyperuricemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypercalcemia, and azotemia. Severe renal dysfunction was diagnosed in all birds on the basis of clinical presentation, physical examination, and complete blood count and plasma biochemistry results. Radiographically marked renomegaly was noted in one of the cases. Although intensive critical care and supportive therapy was provided, 1 lorikeet died, and the remaining 2 were euthanatized because of client financial constraints and a rapid deterioration of their clinical condition associated with severe renal dysfunction. Postmortem pathology results found that all birds had marked renomegaly, visceral gout, and polycystic kidney disease. Because of the age of the birds and the line breeding within this group of lorikeets, the disease was believed to be inherited. Polycystic kidney disease should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis in juvenile psittacine birds with a history of line breeding when presented with severe renal dysfunction. From the current case series, polycystic kidney disease appears to carry a grave prognosis in juvenile rainbow lorikeets.

Alfaxalone is a safe and effective anesthetic drug for the induction of general anesthesia in many nonavian companion animal species; however, its efficacy has not been fully evaluated in birds. In premedicated trials, the chickens were sedated with butorphanol 2 mg/kg intramuscularly and midazolam 0.5 mg/kg intramuscularly, 15 minutes before intravenous administration of alfaxalone. The chickens were classified as anesthetized if endotracheal intubation was achieved without eliciting a cough reflex, provoking no patient resistance, and with minimal glottis movement within 15 seconds after the administration of alfaxalone. Qualitative and quantitative data were recorded, including duration of anesthesia, quality of induction, quality of recovery, reflexes, time to sternal recumbency, time to standing, and time to normal behaviors. Survival analysis was used to analyze the association between alfaxalone dosage and premedication with time-related variables. Out of the evaluated doses, the lowest intravenous alfaxalone dose required to achieve anesthetic induction and endotracheal intubation in unpremedicated and premedicated chickens was 7.5 and 4 mg/kg, respectively. The duration of anesthesia for all dose rates within the study ranged from 51 seconds to 4 minutes 45 seconds. Premedication generally improved the quality of induction and recovery, but significantly (P < .001) increased the time required for the chickens to stand after being anesthetized and to return to normal behaviors. Most chickens exhibited varying degrees of hyperactivity on anesthetic induction and recovery. No postinduction apnea or deaths of the subject birds occurred during this investigation.

Most research to enrich the environment of psittacines in captivity has focused on foraging. Little is known about the importance of bathing substrates for enrichment of their environment, despite this being a natural behaviour that is rarely possible in captivity. Twelve captive-bred, adult cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) were housed in groups of four in three aviary replicates. An initial choice test determined preferences for different substrates: earth, sand, wood shavings, shallow and deep water. Each substrate was provided in trays on the floor, together with an empty tray as a control. Positions were rearranged daily following a Latin square design. No bathing behaviours were observed but wood shavings, earth and sand were visited most frequently. Shallow water and the control were visited less frequently than wood shavings, and deep water was visited less than any of the other treatments. Thus alternatives to water were chosen to test the effects of substrates on bird behaviour, in particular flying as the aim was to encourage the birds to visit the substrate. In a changeover design with three one-week periods the behaviour of cockatiels provided with wood shavings, earth or a control were compared. Birds in the Wood shaving and Earth treatments flew more to the ground, compared to the Control treatment. This was more often from the wall and faster in the case of the Wood shavings and more often from their perch in the Earth treatment. However, those in the Control treatment flew more from the perch to the wall, with no net difference in total flying. It is concluded that provision of wood shavings or earth will provide an alternative to flying from the perch to the wall, but did not otherwise affect the behaviour of the birds.

Herein we report a simple method for assessing avian sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCDt). The presence of sperm DNA damage was confirmed indirectly by correlating results of the SCDt determined in three bird species with results of a corresponding neutral comet assay (r=0.99; P<0.005). Frozen-thawed spermatozoa of each species were also incubated at 37°C for 5h and the within- and between-species variation of SDF, as an indicator of sperm DNA longevity, examined. The dynamic assessment of SDF using the SCDt revealed species and individual bird (rooster and turkey) differences in sperm DNA longevity.

Bacterial culture and susceptibility testing results of a wound on the plantar aspect of the foot of a 4-year-old, male chicken with a class IV pododermatitis revealed a multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacterium, sensitive to only a few antibiotics including ceftazidime. Concerns over the volume and frequency of antibiotic injections, combined with the likely duration of treatment, led to the use of a vascular access port to facilitate intravenous antimicrobial therapy. The port was placed and maintained for 5 months without complication, and the infection was resolved. This case illustrates the feasibility and application of a vascular port in an avian patient requiring long-term intravenous therapy.

Veterinary practitioners frequently encounter disorders of the reproductive system in avian patients. Management of these disorders relies on manipulating reproduction by modifying the environment, diet, and social interactions, and by the use of pharmacologic agents and surgery, with varying levels of success and side effects. An alternative is to use the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist deslorelin to suppress the pituitary-gonadal axis. To determine the efficacy of deslorelin in domestic pigeons (Columba livia), male (n = 10) and female (n = 10) birds each were implanted intramuscularly with a single long-acting implant containing 4.7 mg deslorelin. Untreated males (n = 11) and females (n = 10) were used as controls. The baseline serum concentration of luteinizing hormone (LH) was assayed at 7, 28, 56, and 84 days after treatment, and egg production was recorded weekly. In females, deslorelin administration significantly reduced serum LH concentrations compared to pretreatment levels at 7, 28, 56, and 84 days (P < .05). In males, deslorelin significantly reduced LH concentrations at 7, 28, and 56 days (P < .05). Female birds treated with deslorelin laid significantly fewer eggs over the course of the study (mean = 1.46, SEM = 0.84) compared with controls (mean = 5.54, SEM = 0.88). Deslorelin treatment had no discernible effect on body weight. Deslorelin is effective for controlling egg laying in female pigeons for at least 49 days, but further research is required to determine the effects on male fertility and the duration of action in both sexes.