Posted: Tue Sep 12 2006 5: 21 pm Post subject:
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Bo's necropsy results are in. I did not want to post about it until I had the hard copy in my hand so it is self-explanatory for I do not want to have to answer questions, it's too hard to discuss.
All my other birds are safe ... it was not PDD or any other communicable illness.
While I breathed a huge sigh of relief for my other birds, I was still holding my breath scared that it was something that my vet or I had missed. Bo's death could not have been prevented though and it was a blessing made possible by those that supported us that we gave him some good quality months. W/O the intensive care he received he would of died painfully and much sooner. He had 8 months of feeling as healthy as he could and was a very happy bird. I still have not been able to bring myself to clean up his nest he was building for "us" in one of the closets. He was sooooo proud of it and would show off his accomplishments to me on a daily basis.
Bo's death was caused from a gruesome, freak set of events. Bo at one time in his life had been infested w/ an unknown parasite that died off in his body. These parasites were old parasites (not the ones we treated) and we know this for they were calcified (more or less "mummified") and mineralized. They were unable to dissect the parasites to tell exactly what kind of parasites they were because they were so calcified. These in turn caused ulcerations, which caused tiny pin pricks in his organs. I do not want to go into too much detail and tell any "untruths" by mistake so I am going to leave it at that.
While I part of me is totally ecstatic that my other birds are safe ... part of me is back to mourning Bo's life/death. His death could of been so easily prevented if he had a good home. It was a senseless death caused by pure neglect. Parasites don't just "happen" the same way lice and mites don't. He was left outside under God only knows what kind of conditions and never got vet care.
The pathologist said he has never seen a case like this, leave it to our BoBo to be unique. Dr. H is also blown away but also relieved. Not just relieved for my other birds but she told me one night that not a day since Bo's passing has she not questioned herself as to if she missed anything. She loved BoBo too and part of her was beating herself up just as I was beating myself up. Bo could not have been saved though ... there are no tests you can run to discover what was wrong w/ him and even if there were ... there was no medicine that could of fixed him. We have to be satisfied that we as a group gave Bo the best most comfortable months that he could of had ... he died knowing the love of many, he died knowing the feeling of being worshiped, of toys, warmth, a clean environment, a flock ... we gave him the opportunity to know all a bird should know if he must be captive. I so wish he lived long enough to have learned to fly ... every bird should be allowed to learn to fly ... after all what good are wings on an angel if they are grounded.
The necropsy report can be seen here:
I had a friend who is a doctor break it down into layman terms for me and here is the breakdown:
Histology
This report describes the diagnostic findings on formalin-tixed orgasn trom a male 10-y-old cockatoo received on 08/28/2006. History of sell mutilation, crop stasis, and enlarged pro- and ventriculus[proventriculus=stomach; ventriculus=gizzard][ as you know,enlargement of these suggest PDD but many things can enlarge the proventriculus and ventriculus] on radiographs. Stated postmortem findings include thickened air sacs, enlarged pro- and ventriculus and fluid in the coetomic cavity [this is essentially the cavity where all the abdominal organs sit]. Previous submissions revealed:
11122/2005 - leucocytosis [high white blood count; goes along with many diseases], low NG ratio [don't know what this is unless he spells out the abbreviation], and elevated beta- globulins. Chlamydia[="psittacosis"] serology =antibody test, PBFD[Beak and Feather Disease] and polyoma DNA probes all negative.
07/06/2006 - leucocytosis, low NG ratio, and elevated beta- globulins [this is a blood protein indicating, like the white count, infection or inflammation].
08/01/2006 - leucocytosis, severe anemia.
Gross exam[ visual exam] on fixed tissues: Cross section of the heart revealed white areas affecting most of the middle layer of the myocardiurn [heart] and extending to most of the heart circumference. The walls of the proventriculus and ventriculus were dilated and filled with finely ground ingesta [food]. The duodenum [small intestine]was severely distended immediately above a thick, firm segment (stricture= an area which was severely narrowed) that did not allow penetration of the forceps tips. Adjacent to this area was a pea-size cyst with clear fluid. In general, intestines appeared more firmly adhere this doesn't appear to be a complete sentence. Liver, spleen, lungs or normal size.
Histopathology[exam of microscopic slides]: The white zones in the heart correspond to areas with complete loss of myocytes [heart cells] that are replaced by fibrosis[scarring]. In addition, these areas contain scattered foci [areas] with what appear as degenerating and mineralized cross sections of parasitic larvae[the young of parasites]. The thickened segment of intestine revealed a granulomatous abscess [an infected area with pus; "granulomatous" is just a particular description of the type of cells]near the base of the mucosa, filled with degenerate granulocytes[white cells=pus], necrotic debri [dead cells] and intralesional coccoid [round] bacteria. Also present is an ulcerated area of the mucosa extending into the tunica muscularis [an ulcer of the lining of the gut extended into the muscle wall]. Similar cross sections of mineralized parasitic larvae as those in the heart are present arid surrounded by connective tissue [parasitic young are also in the gut]. The grossly visible cyst is not associated with inflammation. Liver and kidney reveal mild hemosiderosis [mild iron deposition=not relevant]. A minimal suppurative exudate is present on the serosal surfaces of abdominal organs [minimal pus on outside of abdominal organs=not important]. Spleen, testicles (grossly as yellow masses), myenteric ganglia, and lungs unremarkable. Special Stains: PAS for fungal elements and Acid-fast for mycobacteriawere negative.
[no tuberculosis, fungus]
Diannosis: peritonitis, chronic enteritis with stricture formation [chronic infection of the gut with narrowing], and chronic myocarditis associated with degenerating parasitic larvae.[chronic infection of the heart due to parasitic larvae in stages of breaking down]
Comriienls: The duodenum [small bowel]revealed an acute ulcerated mucosa [fresh ulcer] and chronic abscess [chronic localized infection], which are consistent with a bacterial etiology[ which looked bacterial]. However, the initial insult [original problem] was likely that of migrating larvae in the intestine and heart [parasites moving through the gut and heart], leading to the long-standing cardia [heart]damage and stricture formation [gut narrowing]. The extent of fibrosis [scarring] in both organs are indicative of a long (months) chronic condition. Ultimately, the bird developed peritonitis [infection in the abdominal cavity] which may have been a sequel to [caused by]the ulcerative enteritis [ulcerations in the gut].
So he's saying that worms migrating through
Bo's system over a long period of time led to secondary complications, including scarring of the heart, and narrowing of the intestine. Since food couldn't pass well, ulcers and eventually infection developed, eventually spilling into the abdominal cavity ["peritonitis"]
As I wrote above, even before I read this, many things can mimic PDD and enlarge the proventriculus, ventriculus, and crop. Unfortunately, this appears to be one.
However, Sunny, I see NOTHING you could have done about it. The pathologist makes it clear that the damage was very long-standing
