VISCERAL GOUT IN A SILVER PHEASANT (LOPHURA NYCTHEMERA)

摘要

Gout is a common finding during necropsy of poultry. It is the result of abnormal accumulation of urates and occur as two distinct syndromes, visceral and articular gout (Calnek et al.,1994). Gout in caged and zoo birds is not a common finding and a very few reports are available from Indian zoo (Rao et al., 1996). The present case is a rare report of visceral gout in a Silver pheasant. The carcass of an adult male Silver pheasant was brought to the department of Pathology Veterinary College, Mhow, belonging to Kamala Nehru Prani Sangrahalaya, Indore (M.P.) for the post mortem examination. The bird had died suddenly without showing any clinical manifestations. During necropsy, deposition of urates was observed in and around pericardium. The wall ofthoracic cavity also revealed deposition of urates. In the abdominal cavity, liver was congested and a large amount of urate was deposited over the surfaces of liver and all serous membranes of abdominal cavity, air sacs and peritoneum. The kidneys and ureters also revealed deposition of urates. The gall bladder was distended and both intestines showed haemorrhagic enteritis. Both the lungs were congested and consolidated. There was congestion of tracheal mucous membrane. The morbid material was collected aseptically for isolation any bacterial pathogen. Several causes as high protein diet, urinary excretion failure, obstruction in ureters, renal damage, dehydration, raised uric acid and water deprivation have been held responsible for visceral gout (Calnek et al., 1994 ; Chauhan & Roy , 1998; Chandra et al., 2001) but no definite cause could be determined in the present case. However, mortality among zoo birds may be minimized by improving managemental practices and reducing the contributing factorsresponsible for visceral gout.