Liver disease is a general term for sicknesses involving the liver and several liver diseases of varying causes have been described in parrots. Liver disease can be due to infection, nutritional deficiencies, and tumors. Infectious liver disease may be due to viral, bacterial, or fungal causes. Infectious causes include Pacheco’s Disease (Herpesvirus), polyomavirus, and Adenovirus. Bacterial infections may also impact the liver such as bacterial hepatitis, Chlamydophilosis, or Mycobacteriosis. Various toxins can also cause liver disease by damaging liver tissue. Diet can result in hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) or hemochromatosis. Chronic liver issues may lead to cirrhosis and heart disease can result in hepatic congestion and enlargement.
Symptoms of liver disease in parrots may include abdominal distention, fluid build-up in the body cavity, very green or yellow appearance to feces, increased thirst, increased urination, elongation of the upper beak, and issues with prolonged bleeding. Non-specific signs include lethargy, reduced eating or drinking, weight loss, and fluffed feathers. Some patients have no outward clinical signs and diagnosis is made based on laboratory results alone.
If liver issues are suspected your veterinarian will recommend a serum biochemistry panel, complete blood count, and radiographs. An ultrasound with or without fine needle aspirate biopsy may also be necessary to get the full picture of what is going on within the liver. If an infectious cause is of concern, appropriate disease testing may also be recommended.
Treatment of liver disease in birds will depend on the severity and underlying cause. Liver support supplements such as milk thistle and vitamin B may be prescribed to help the liver recover. If the patient is struggling with hepatic encephalopathy, neurologic side effects of liver disease, lactulose may be prescribed. Fish oil is often prescribed to birds exhibiting high cholesterol. Patients on inappropriate seed mix diets should be transitioned to pellets. If the patient has issues with prolonged bleeding, vitamin K will be prescribed. Additional supportive care should be provided if necessary such as fluid therapy or assist feeding.
The patient’s prognosis is dependent on the cause of liver disease and the time of diagnosis. However, if in the end stage, the prognosis is poor to grave.
Recommendations for rechecks are dependent on prognosis, treatment requirements, and need for recheck bloodwork.
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