Avian Renal Disease

Avian renal disease is a common ailment in birds of prey. Although it is often unrecognized in the small birds that are found in homes as pets, avian renal disease should still be of concern if a bird is acting ill. Diagnosing this disorder usually involves an examination and X-rays of the bird in question. Avian renal disease is usually treated with a combination of fluids and nutritional support, including food supplements that assist in the healing of the disorder.

  1. About

    • Avian renal disease is a condition that affects the kidneys of birds. According to Dr. Christal Pollack, who is board-certified in avian medicine, most often it is found in birds of prey, but can also be found in budgie birds in the tumors that occasionally appear in their kidneys. On rare occasions, avian renal disease appears in pets or companion birds, but most often it is found in avian zoo animals. Avian renal disease is a condition that is caused by poor nutrition and food imbalances.

    Hypovitaminosis A

    • According to Pollack, hypovitaminosis A is a condition in which there is excess vitamin A in the bird's system (hypo meaning excess, vitaminosis meaning vitamin). This is a condition in which the body does not absorb all of the vitamin A that is being consumed by the bird and it is being excreted into the body through the squamous metaplasia of the mucosa of the ureters. The ureters are the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the outside of the body. This can lead to hyperuricemia, hydronephrosis and anuric renal failure.

    Avian Gout

    • Pollack notes the possibility that high amounts of protein can lead to avian gout. Many avian diets have been studied as possible causes of avian renal disease, but have been found not to be the issue. Pollack indicates that even in chickens genetically predisposed to gout, a diet of 70 to 80 percent in protein did not result in the disorder. Although this is a theory that has been promoted for several years as to the cause of avian gout, the science does not support it thus far.

    Excess Vitamin D3

    • Pollack indicates that nesting parrots are prone to difficulties with excess vitamin D3. This is an avian renal disease that is marked by clinical symptoms such as polyuria, polydipsia, poor appetite and weight loss. Excess vitamin D3 results in metastasis of the viscera and can affect the kidneys especially.

    Treatments

    • For many of the conditions described above, the most used treatment is to adjust the diet of the bird in question. Pollack describes diets that are rich in carbohydrates and low in protein and calcium and may offer significant benefit to birds that are suffering from avian renal disease. Although some varieties of birds are naturally drawn to high-protein diets, they benefit from at least temporary adjustments in their diet to address the complications of their condition.