STUNTED CHICK SYNDROME IN A 5-MONTH-OLD BLUE AND GOLD MACAW

摘要

A 5-month-old gold and blue Macaw showed different clinical symptoms and poor growth compared to the other chicks of the same clutch, born after artificial incubation and all kept under the same conditions. Clinical symptoms were: intermittent regurgitation, diarrhea, dehydration and an obvious state of poor nutrition. Other detectable clinical signs were crusty-type lesions of the skin at the paws (flat portions), stress-lines and slow growth of the plumage. The breeder suspected dwarfism or other defects of hereditary origin. By sampling of the crop, many colonies of Escherichia coli and Shigella sp. were isolated, suggesting an infection, which was also complicated by the presence of Candida albicans. The antifungal and antibiotic treatments rapidly resolved the clinical symptomatology, but did not solve the persistent growth problem, compatible with a case of stunted chick syndrome. Copyright 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.