{"id":12808,"date":"2019-09-27T17:34:51","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T22:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/windycityparrot.com\/blog\/?p=12808"},"modified":"2019-09-27T17:34:51","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T22:34:51","slug":"can-a-macaw-parrot-get-cataracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/?p=12808","title":{"rendered":"Can A Macaw Parrot Get Cataracts?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you do anything for this?<\/span><\/p>\n

I have a Catalina macaw she is 30.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her right eye seems to be not as clear as her left. It’s like a very lite graying.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes she bumps into things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her diet consists of seeds and pellets she also gets prime vitamins in her water<\/span><\/p>\n

Also a little treat from our dinner plates at night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks <\/span><\/p>\n

Steven<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hi Steven<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike humans, it’s easier to detect cataracts in birds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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When you say “her right eye seems not to be as clear <\/span>as her left, it doesn’t sound like a cataract because cataracts in birds manifest themselves in the pupil.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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The question really needs to be answered by an avian veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Humans require an optometrist or ophthalmologist using sophisticated instruments to determine the presence of a cataract and how much it impairs eyesight.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I’m certainly no expert on cataracts but I’ve chosen the subject this week because I just finished having cataract surgery on both of my own eyes and you can read about it here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Most likely you’ll see whiteness in the bird’s pupil.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cataracts can be age-related in both birds and humans but metabolic diseases like diabetes and infections can trigger cataracts in birds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nutritional deficiencies can also trigger cataracts which is why I consistently beat the drum to feed your bird commercial food so you know the nutritional value of what your bird is eating.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Cataracts are seen a lot in canaries but not so much in Amazons, Macaws, and Greys.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cataracts can actually be genetically predisposed in canaries.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cataracts will affect your bird’s vision and could possibly even lead to blindness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sometimes humans don’t realize their birds are blind until it’s pointed out by a veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you get the unfortunate diagnosis, the bird’s wings must be clipped so he or she cannot fly.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whereas we recommend changing everything in the birdcage on a regular basis, the opposite would hold true for a blind bird.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The interior of the cage must remain very stable so the bird can confidently move about the cage, especially for food and water.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The good news is that cataracts can be treated surgically in birds but it’s not always the case.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of the issues with surgery is that birds are for more sensitive to anesthesia than mammals.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Your vet will most likely perform pre-anesthetic diagnostic tests to ensure there are no internal problems with the bird.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This webpage from Long Beach animal Hospital<\/a> walks you through a macaw cataract surgery but the pictures are very graphic – you’ve been warned.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If surgery is not an option, ocular medications (NSAIDs<\/a>) like flurbiprofen<\/a>, celecoxib<\/a> or meloxicam<\/a> will keep pain and inflammation down in your bird’s eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You will want to monitor a bird with cataracts closely inspecting the eyes on a regular basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I don’t want to overwhelm my readers with complicated data but I found this study interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I highlighted the information about cataracts and birds but was surprised to find how prevalent they were.<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. J Zoo Wildl Med. 2015 Dec;46(4):858-69. doi: 10.1638\/2015-0071.1.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

RETROSPECTIVE INVESTIGATION OF CATARACT MANAGEMENT IN AVIAN SPECIES IN A ZOOLOGIC<\/span><\/strong>
\nCOLLECTION.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rainwater KL, Sykes JM, Sapienza JS.<\/span><\/p>\n

A review of avian cataracts at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo\u00a0<\/span>between 1992 and 2011 was conducted.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ninety cataracts in 54 birds from 42 species\u00a0were identified.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cataracts were found primarily during examination for ocular\u00a0abnormalities (29\/54, 53.7%) or opportunistically (13\/54, 24.1%) and were most\u00a0commonly diagnosed as mature (22\/90, 24.4%).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Systemic medical conditions\u00a0diagnosed in these birds included West Nile virus (4\/54, 7.4%), head trauma\u00a0(3\/54, 5.6%), plumbism and Salmonella Pullorum (1\/54, 1.9%), Marek’s disease\u00a0(1\/54, 1.9%), leukocytosis (1\/54, 1.9%), and hyperglycemia (1\/54, 1.9%).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cataracts were progressive in seven birds of four species.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Unilateral enucleation\u00a0<\/a>was performed in 2\/54 (3.7%) birds, and 12\/54 (22.2%) underwent cataract removal (phacoemulsification in 16 eyes and standard extracapsular cataract extraction in\u00a02 eyes).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Concurrent ocular abnormalities, such as corneal scarring and\u00a0<\/span>lens-induced uveitis, were seen in 2\/18 (11.1%) eyes preoperatively in the group undergoing cataract removal, 2\/2 (100%) eyes preoperatively in the group\u00a0undergoing enucleation, and 33\/70 (47.1%) of eyes that did not undergo surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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For birds undergoing cataract removal, complications included successfully\u00a0<\/span>treated cardiorespiratory arrest intraoperatively (1\/12, 8.3%) as well as<\/span>
\npostanesthetic complications of acute respiratory distress and tracheal stricture\u00a0(2\/12, 16.7%).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The most common postoperative ocular abnormalities included\u00a0<\/span>posterior capsular opacity (4\/18 eyes, 22.2%) and corneal scarring (2\/18 eyes,\u00a011.1%).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lens cortical regrowth and marked posterior lens capsular opacity\u00a0<\/span>occurred in one eye of one bird after phacoemulsification, necessitating a second\u00a0ocular surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A successful outcome, as determined by improved postoperative\u00a0<\/span>visual acuity, was seen in 10\/12 (83.3%) birds undergoing cataract removal, and\u00a05\/12 (41.7%) of these birds were alive 3 yr after surgery.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The results of this\u00a0review will aid clinicians in identifying common stages of cataracts, determining\u00a0eligibility for cataract surgery, and managing postoperative complications in avian patients.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

DOI: 10.1638\/2015-0071.1<\/span>
\nPMID: 26667543 [Indexed for MEDLINE]<\/span><\/p>\n

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