Page 44 - Veterinary diagnostic imaging birds exotic pets wildlife

Chapter 3

Cage Birds

We see few cage birds in our practice compared with general anesthesia; the same being true with computed
wild birds. Among these, parrots are the most popular, radiography (CR) or digital radiography (DR) systems.
interspersed with the occasional canary or Mynah The method of tape restraint has been published
bird. Accordingly, this chapter is quite brief compared widely, with numerous examples appearing elsewhere
with some of the others. Nevertheless, I believe there in this book.
is some useful information that can readily be applied
in a practice setting. Nonrestraint
Information is also included on small bird radiog-
raphy and in particular, methods that require no drugs Small birds that cannot be drugged, anesthetized, or
or gas. Although I agree with authorities that tout the safely restrained manually can be imaged by other
advantages of full restraint—and the manual, chemi- means. For example, an extremely ill budgie or
cal, or gaseous means of achieving this—I vehemently canary can easily be radiographed while perched using
disagree with the proposition that every small bird a horizontally directed x-ray beam. If the bird is too
must be restrained, especially if the bird is seriously ill weak to perch, it can be placed in a cardboard shoebox,
or injured. which is transparent to radiation, and radiographed
Each bird must be treated as an individual, just as there.
with any other type of patient. Restraint, or lack thereof, If a bird refuses to remain still long enough to be
must be determined by a number of factors, but above radiographed, it can be placed in a corner of the box
all, by the risk to the bird’s well-being. There are times and corralled with small foam panels, adjusted to best
for an optimal image, and there are times for some- suit the situation, and then radiographed. In such cir-

thing less. An unsatisfactory film can always be cumstances, it is best to work in a minimally lighted
repeated, but a dead bird cannot be brought back to room, with as little noise as possible.
life. Obviously, images obtained in this manner will
Canaries, lovebirds, and parakeets can be quite likely be far from ideal, especially those made with the
fragile, especially when they are seriously ill, and in bird in a box. Some will appear unfamiliar because of
such circumstances, we are reluctant to use gas restraint nonstandard projection angles, others will be compro-
unless absolutely necessary. Some of our minimal and mised by superimposition, and most studies will be
nonrestraint techniques are described here. limited to a single view. Why bother? Because it is
prudent and in keeping with the medical adage: fi rst,
do no harm! Examples of these radiographic tech-
niques can be found in Chapter 1.
III SMALL CAGE BIRD RADIOGRAPHY
III OUR CAGE BIRD PRACTICE
Restraint
The great majority of our bird radiography is done As mentioned earlier, the majority of our avian imaging
with the bird taped or held on the cassette while under is of wild birds. Our cage bird practice is compara-
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