Echo my blue&Gold Macaws Necropsy

[coolbreeze]

Ok guys here is the summary of the nercropsy for my baby Echo can someone please explain it to me in laymen's terms???



The disease process and cause of death of this bird is presumed to have been related to bacterial infection or septicemia.
Unfortunately postmortem autolysis precluded a complete microscopic examination of several tissues. Fungi were not isolated
from the crop however E. coli and Enterococcus were isolated. Bacterial infections of the crop may occur secondarily.
Immunosuppressed birds may experience bacterial colonization of the crop or ventricular mucosa which may cause little to no
inflammatory response. Bacterial infections may also result in a loss of ventricular koilin which was observed on microscopic
examination. The Bursa of Fabricius is a primary lymphoid tissue of the avian immune system. It normally reaches its
maximum size before a bird is sexually mature and then undergoes involution. The bursa of this bird appears to have
undergone premature involution, due to the decreased cellularity seen on histopathology. Nonspecific stresses, such as
malnutrition, poor absorption of nutrition, or infection can result in premature atrophy of the bursa and potential
immunosuppression. This may have allowed for bacterial infection or bacterial septicemia to occur. E. coli and Enterococcus
were isolated from all of the sampled organs. Acute inflammation was observed affecting the air sacs and peritoneum.
Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD) may have contributed to the aspiration of ingesta and air sac inflammation. In cases
of PDD, nerves and myenteric ganglia may have lymphocytic inflammation. Two nerves were observed to have this character
of inflammation, however autolysis prevented further confirmation of this disease. Autolysis also hindered the ability to
evaluate the intestines for lesions of enteritis. No parasites were seen on fecal examination and ELISA testing for
Cryptosporidium yielded a negative result. PCR for Avian Influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease yielded negative results.
No viral particles were seen on electron microscopy ruling out herpesvirus, adenovirus, and other enteric viruses.

[Jag]

Sounds like they don't have a 'definite' cause of death. Sounds like there were infections due to a suppressed immune system that *may* have been suppressed because of PDD. There was cell lysis that caused issues with finding the exact cause of death. There was damage to the lungs, and to the lining of the abdominal cavity. The bacterial infection found in the bird's crop may have been a result of everything else instead of the primary illness.

[coolbreeze]

Isn't pdd contagious

[brdfvr]

Looks like your bird died of a bacterial infection or sepsis (bacteria in the blood). Also his immune system was surpressed because a premature degradation of the bursa of fabricius (creates B cells in birds that they will have for the rest of their lives, this bursa gets smaller as the bird ages then stops working after sexual maturity). this premature degrading of the bursa may have been to malnutrition (improper diet), poor absorption of nutrition, or Looks like he also had ingesta (digested food) in his lungs and air sac inflammation.

Overall looks like it was a decreased immune system and a bacterial infection that killed your bird. I am sorry for your loss. How old was your baby when it passed?

[Jag]

Originally Posted by coolbreeze

Isn't pdd contagious

Yes, but... although he found signs that it could be PDD, he couldn't confirm it. If you have other birds you may want to ask a vet what they'd recommend you do at this point...

[Chico's Mom]

Hello, first of all, I am sorry that you lost Echo. I read this report and tried to "translate" each sentence that I could, using parentheses and capital letters, so maybe this will explain what the report says.



The disease process and cause of death of this bird is presumed to have been related to BACTERIAL INFECTION or septicemia.

Unfortunately postmortum autolysis (BODY DECOMPOSING) precluded (PREVENTED) a complete microscopic examination of several tissues.

Fungi were not isolated from the crop however E. coli and Enterococcus were isolated.(NO FUNGUS, BUT BACTERIA WERE FOUND).

Bacterial infections of the crop may occur secondarily. Immunosuppressed birds may experience bacterial colonization (THE BACTERIAL INFECTION COULD BE BECAUSE OF A POOR IMMUNE SYSTEM)
of the crop or ventricular mucosa which may cause little to no
inflammatory response.

Bacterial infections may also result in a loss of ventricular koilin which was observed on microscopicexamination.(ON EXAMINATION, THEY SAW THAT THE HEART'S TISSUES HAD LOST SOME OF WHAT IT NEEDS TO FUNCTION NORMALLY, BECAUSE OF THE BACTERIAL INFECTION).

The Bursa of Fabricius is a primary lymphoid tissue of the avian immune system. It normally reaches its maximum size before a bird is sexually mature and then undergoes involution. The bursa of this bird appears to have undergone premature involution, due to the decreased cellularity seen on histopathology. Nonspecific stresses, such as
malnutrition, poor absorption of nutrition, or infection can result in premature atrophy of the bursa and potential immunosuppression. This may have allowed for bacterial infection or bacterial septicemia to occur. E. coli and Enterococcus were isolated from all of the sampled organs. (SOME IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION WAS DECREASED BECAUSE OF CERTAIN STRESSORS...COULD HAVE BEEN MALNUTRITION OR MAYBE ECHO'S SYSTEM JUST WASN'T ABLE TO ABSORB THE NUTRIENTS THAT YOU GAVE HIM).


Acute inflammation was observed affecting the air sacs and peritoneum.
Proventricular Dilatation Disease (PDD) may have contributed to the aspiration of ingesta and air sac inflammation (KIND OF LIKE PNEUMONIA CAUSED BY FOODS GETTING INTO THE LUNGS).

In cases of PDD, nerves and myenteric ganglia may have lymphocytic inflammation. Two nerves were observed to have this character of inflammation, (CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE BIRD HAVING PDD DID SHOW UP ON EXAMINATION) however autolysis prevented further confirmation of this disease. Autolysis also hindered the ability to evaluate the intestines for lesions of enteritis(THE DECOMPOSITION OF THE BODY PREVENTED FURTHER CONFIRMATION OF DISEASE).

No parasites were seen on fecal examination and ELISA testing for Cryptosporidium yielded a negative result. PCR for Avian Influenza and Exotic Newcastle Disease yielded negative results.No viral particles were seen on electron microscopy ruling out herpesvirus, adenovirus, and other enteric viruses. (NO PARASITES, VIRUSES, OR OTHER TYPES OF BACTERIA EXCEPT FOR THOSE MENTIONED EARLIER WERE FOUND).

So, it seems that Echo was unable to absorb proper nutrients, which decreased his immune system, which caused him to develop a bacterial infection. He aspirated some of his food (kind of like choking a bit so that the food went into his lungs instead of into his crop) which caused a pneumonia-like condition as well.


I don't know if this helps or not, but my thoughts are with you, and I'm so sorry.

[Jag]

Just wanted to clarify... bacterial colonization is not an 'active' infection but a 'dormant' infection that *can* become an active infection again under further stress. This is what happens with the herpes virus and also with MRSA infections. So that was saying that that infection may have been a chronic 'currently inactive' infection because of the suppressed immune system.

[Sandybottomsmn]

Chicos mom- thats a pretty good breakdown of the necropsry report.

Coolbreeze Im so sorry to hear about Echos passing... did he become ill quickly?

[swanwillow]

I was curious, so I looked at the last posts from her. They're here

Blue & Gold Macaw

It was the unweaned bub that had been to the vet, given baytril (sp?)

[xafsmom]

Originally Posted by Jag

Yes, but... although he found signs that it could be PDD, he couldn't confirm it. If you have other birds you may want to ask a vet what they'd recommend you do at this point...

This is a typical read on a lot of necropsies due to presentation of similar things. That doesn't mean the bird has PDD, it means that they cannot rule it out even minutely. Most possible PDD similarities on necropsies aren't PDD at all. PDD and a lot of other things present themselves the same.

From what Chico's Mom said here: So, it seems that Echo was unable to absorb proper nutrients, which decreased his immune system, which caused him to develop a bacterial infection. He aspirated some of his food (kind of like choking a bit so that the food went into his lungs instead of into his crop) which caused a pneumonia-like condition as well.

It sums it up. You can aspirate a baby just a little bit and have it go full scale into aspiration pneumonia in a heartbeat.