Leiomyosarcoma in a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

A tumor mass defined as a leiomyosarcoma was found in the thoracic cavity of a 3-year-old female budgerigar. Disseminated leiomyosarcomas were found in various body tissues, including bone marrow, spleen, and liver.     

Malignant melanoma in a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

A 3-year-old male budgerigar was presented for weakness. A 0.5-cm mass was located in the left patagium. Histologically, the mass was diagnosed as a malignant melanoma, previously unreported in budgerigars.     

Ante mortem diagnosis of mycobacterial infection by liver biopsy in a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Avian mycobacteriosis is an important disease which affects exotic, wild and domestic birds. The disease is most commonly caused by the ubiquitous soil and water organisms Mycobacterium avium sp. avium and Mycobacterium genavense. Mycobacteriosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any pet bird with chronic disease characterized by weight loss, an inflammatory leukogram and abdominal enlargement.Ante mortem diagnosis of avian mycobacteriosis in birds remains difficult. The present case report describes that even in very small species such as a budgerigar the investigating of a biopsy sample is an efficient way to rule out or confirm the disease in cases where other methods fail to be conclusive.     

Knemidokoptic mange of the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) in New Zealand

Abstract

Extract

A budgerigar brought to the Wallaceville Animal Research Station for examination showed a severe chronic lesion of the beak and ceres. The lesion was heavily encrusted and showed honey-comb-like pitting (Fig. 1). Four birds of a flock of fifty were similarly affected. Mites were found in scrapings taken from the base of the beak and were identified as Knemidokoptes pilae, Lavoipierre and Griffiths, 1951 Evans, G.O. and Browning, E. 1955. Econ. Ser. Brit. Mus., 17 [Google Scholar].     

Multidrug-resistant bacterial ingluvitis associated with squamous cell carcinoma in a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

A 2-year-old budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) was presented to the Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for chronic regurgitation. Multiple drug-resistant Klebsiella oxytoca was cultured from the crop. Necropsy revealed a mass in the crop that was histologically diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of SCC in a budgerigar associated with a multidrug-resistant bacterial ingluvitis.     

Solitary adenoma in the proventriculus of a budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) diagnosed by immunochemistry - short communication

The authors describe a solitary adenoma in a 5.5-year-old female Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). The tumour was partially blocking the lumen of the proventriculus and filled it almost completely. Decreased passage of food towards the gizzard and the intestines developed in the bird as result of the obstruction, which periodically hindered the passage, leading to slow emaciation. An epithelial tumour composed of irregular glandular acini was diagnosed by histological examination. Immunohistochemical reaction with pancytokeratin showed a positive cytoplasmic reaction both in the neoplastic and the normal glandular structures.     

Polyomavirus infection in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus): clinical and aetiological studies

In order to get insight into the aetiology of French Moult (FM) and Budgerigar Fledgling Disease (BFD), and to determine relationships between the two diseases, 298 budgerigars from 49 different breeding flocks were examined. From all birds with BFD and from several birds with FM, viruses were isolated which produced characteristic cytopathic changes in chicken embryo fibroblasts. They were insensitive to chloroform treatment, and their replication was inhibited in the presence of 5-iododeoxyuridine. One of these isolates, from a bird exhibiting clinical signs of BFD, was determined by biochemical and biophysical methods to be a polyomavirus (BFDV). Nestling budgerigars 3 to 10 days of age, were inoculated with this BFDV isolate. They developed an acute systemic disease with high mortality rates, similar to naturally occurring infections. In this regard, BFDV differs markedly from all the other polyomaviruses known until now which only cause clinically asymptomatic, persistent infections in their natural hosts. Most of the birds examined with clinical signs of BFD or FM exhibited low titers of antibodies neutralizing the BFDV isolate, whereas in clinically healthy birds from flocks that never had any problems with FM or BFD, no antibodies against BFDV could be detected. On account of the results of our experiments described here we suspect that FM might be a milder, more protracted form of a BFDV infection.     

Chronic rhinitis and sinusitis in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

The microscopic lesions in the nasal cavity, nasal bones, and infraorbital sinuses of five budgerigars with chronic upper respiratory tract infection are described. All five had chronic inflammation of the lining of the air spaces within the bones surrounding the nares and infraorbital sinuses.     

Semen collection and spermatozoa characteristics in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Semen samples were obtained from budgerigars by applying gentle pressure to both sides of the cloaca. The semen appeared to be stored in the seminal glomera, two structures on either side of the proctodeum. These structures have been described before in Passeriformes. The spermatozoon in budgerigars is similar to the spermatozoon of the domestic fowl, but differs from the spermatozoon of Passeriformes.     

Experimental infection of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) with a low virulent K21 strain of Toxoplasma gondii

In total 53 budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) were divided into six groups and orally infected with a suspension of oocysts of low virulent Toxoplasma gondii K21 strain in the doses of 10(2), 10(3), 10(4), 10(5) and 10(6), respectively. Blood was collected from the birds prior to the inoculation and then on days 10, 20 and 30 post infection. Latex-agglutination test (LAT) was used for the detection of antibodies in the inoculated birds. The infected birds showed no apparent signs of disease. The antibodies were found in all but two birds inoculated a dose of 10(2) oocysts. Haematological values remained unchanged after infection. T. gondii was isolated by bioassay in mice from all 37 birds fed 10(3) or more oocysts and 6 of 9 fed 10(2) oocysts. The results demonstrate that budgerigars are resistant to T. gondii infection.     

Cerebral neuroblastoma and pituitary adenocarcinoma in two budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Case 1: A tumor mass involving the rostral part of left cerebrum was found in a two-year-old female budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) at necropsy. Histologically, the neoplastic cells were arranged in sheets or cords and occasionally showed nest growth patterns. These uniform tumor cells had a little cytoplasm and ovoid or round basophilic nuclei with clearly distinct cytoplasmic membranes. The tumor cells were strong diffusely immunostained with both neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament protein and partially for synaptophysin. They lacked chromogranin A, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, S-100, and cytokeratin antigen expression. Moreover, they had no reaction to antibodies against pituitary hormones, such as adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), growth hormone, and prolactin. The histological and immunohistochemical examination determined the tumor as neuroblastoma. Case 2: An extremely enlarged pituitary mass was found above the sella turcica of a male budgerigar. It was soft and well delineated from the adjacent structures. On histological examination, this tumor consisted of a sheet of large closely packed polyhedral cells that had scant to a large amount of pale to strongly eosinophilic cytoplasm. The pleomorphic nuclei were apparently variable in shape, from small round hyperchromatic to very large vesicular forms. The cell boundaries were not clearly distinct. The multifocal immunolabelling of neoplastic cells for NSE, synaptophysin, GFAP, and ACTH appeared, whereas a few cells reacted with vimentin and S-100 and stained negative for other markers, which were also utilized for case 1. Histological and immunohistochemical findings led to identification of corticotroph adenocarcinoma in the pituitary gland.