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The Newborn Hatchling

Precocial (nidifuges) chicks hatch from the egg with open eyes and thick coats of natal down: they are strong enough to leave the nest within one or two days. Most shorebirds, ratites, game birds, gallinaceous birds and anseriformes have precocial chicks. Altricial chicks (nidicolous), however, are hatched blind and virtually naked. They require long periods of feeding before they are strong enough to leave the nest on their own. Most tree nesting and cavity nesting birds have altricial young, and all psittacine birds have altricial young. Precocial species tend to have larger egg sizes than altricial birds.

A Differential Diagnostic Approach to Common Pediatric Presentations

Most of the current literature relating to psittacine pediatrics describes the ailment and its subsequent treatment. There is usually a mention of "secondary disease" and primary managerial problems, but less emphasis on the real roots of the problem or how to "think out" a problem starting with the diagnosis. With this in mind, the following information is provided to stimulate thought as to the underlying causes (hence true cure potential) for several pediatric ailments. Keep in mind, that pediatric medicine, in many ways is an aspect of avicultural or flock medicine. The diagnosis and individual bird diagnosis leads towards potentially other thoughts and actions from the astute veterinary clinician.

Clinical Presentation	Differential Diagnostic Thoughts
1. Crop Stasis	Dehydration Formula too hot Formula too cold Hypomotility related to stunting Malnutrition Primary or secondary infectious disease "Sour crop"as a secondary complication Brooder temperature too high Brooder temperature too low Brooder humidity too low Exogenous stressors (light, etc) Foreign body obstruction of GI tract Normal variation in motility during 24 hr period Toxicoses
2. Regurgitation	Crop stasis Normal behavior for species and age Inadequate feeding practices Imbalanced brooder environment
3. Sinusitis	Inadequate brooder air quality Foreign objects in nares Primary or secondary infectious disease Inadequate feeding protocols
4. "Splay leg"	Inadequate brooder substrate Wet chicks Weak chicks Inattentive nursery management
5. Tibiotarsal rotation	"Splay leg" Traumatic injury Inattentive nursery management
6. Anteroflexed P1/P4	Stunting Inappropriate brooder substrate Malnutrition Inattentive nursery management
7. Constricted toe syndrome	Specific etiology not known Genetics? Humidity? Bacterial dermatitis/hypersensitivity?
8. Scissors beak deformity	Likely multifactorial Hand feeding trauma? Malnutrition? Sinusitis? Genetic predisposition?
9. "Diarrhea"	Normal for age and species Bacterial imbalance / infection of GIT Enteritis Primary or secondary infections Over medication Malnutrition Hypermotility Hypomotility Pan systemic disease Parasitism?
10. Stunting	Malnutrition Inadequate volume / day Inadequate calories / day Crop stasis (1) Inattentive nursery management Excessive brooder temperature Inadequate brooder temperature Inexperienced hand feeders Inadequate adult breeder parenting Inexperience Large interval between first/last hatch Aviary disturbances Infectious parental disease Infectious disease (primary or secondary)
11. Candidiasis	Crop stasis (1) Stunting (10) "Diarrhea" (9)
12. Aspergillosis	Inadequate brooder air quality Immunosuppression Over medication Stunting (10)
13. Polyomaviral disease	Individual bird Exposure to virus(pre or post purchase) Immunosuppression Violations of Closed Aviary Concept Traffic Epidemic (multiple birds) Violations of Closed Aviary Concept Traffic Seeding source of virus Amplification of virus in nursery Inadequate sanitation measures Immunosuppression (nursery practices)
14. PBFD	Individual bird Exposure to virus(pre or post purchase) Immunosuppression Violations of Closed Aviary Traffic Epidemic (multiple birds) Violations of Closed Aviary Concept Traffic Seeding source of virus Amplification of virus in nursery Inadequate sanitation measures Immunosuppression (nursery practices)
15. Psittacosis	Individual bird Exposure to virus(pre or post purchase) Immunosuppression Violations of Closed Aviary Traffic Epidemic (multiple birds) Violations of Closed Aviary Concept Traffic Seeding source of the organism Amplification of the organism in nursery Inadequate sanitation measures Immunosuppression (nursery practices)

References
1. Johnson, AL: Reproduction in the Female. In Sturkie, PD, Avian Physiology. Springer-Verlag, New York, 1986, pp 403 - 431.
2. King, AS, McLelland, J: Female Reproductive System. In: King, AS, McLelland, J Birds: Their Structure and Function. Bailliere Tindall, Philadelphia, 1984, pp 145-165.
3. Abramson, J, Speer, BL, Thomsen, JB: The Large Macaws. Raintree Publications, Fort Bragg, 1995.
4. Speer, BL: Avicultural Medical Management. In: Rosskopf WJ, Woerpel RW (eds): Veterinary Clinics of North America, Small Animal Practice. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 1991, pp 1393-1404.
5. Balinsky, BI, An Introduction to Embryology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1975

Brian L Speer, DVM

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