Avian Orthopaedics
patient assessment and stabilisation, diagnostic investigation, fracture classification, methods of fracture repair, multimodal analgesia, p
Date and time
Location
Online
Refund Policy
About this event
- Event lasts 1 hour
Companion parrots, poultry and waterfowl are becoming increasingly common household
pets and beloved family members. As more and more people trend towards keeping avian
and exotic pets, these species are kept and interacted with similarly to dogs and cats.
Luckily for companion birds, gone are the days of keeping a cockatiel in a cage for the
entirety of its life. These pets are often given access to the house, trained to follow
commands and engage with people, given toys and puzzles for enrichment, harness or free
flight trained, and given the same gold standard veterinary care afforded to dogs and cats.
And just like with our dogs and cats, accidents can happen at any time. Pet birds have the
added risk of being flighted, leaving them prone to experiencing death defying aerial acts
that can lead to incidents of trauma unheard of with our ground dwelling species. Due to
their delicate bone structure, avian patients frequently present with fractures from trauma –
be it a fall from a perch, flying into a window, catching their leg or wing on a toy, or having an
altercation with another pet in the household. Add to that their predisposition to stress as a
prey species, the risk of an orthopaedic emergency also being a respiratory emergency due
to their pneumatic bones, their smaller body size making bandaging, surgical fixation and
physiotherapy a more delicate process, and the species specific nutritional requirements
essential for bone healing – a successful fracture repair involves patience, teamwork, owner
compliance, and a keen understanding of your patient’s needs both in and out of hospital.
This lecture will take you through the process of triage (both over the phone and in person),
patient assessment and stabilisation, diagnostic investigation, fracture classification,
methods of fracture repair, multimodal analgesia, physiotherapy, owner communications and realistic expectations of the bird’s quality of life post-repair.