Abstract
The death of a bird is, needless to say, a most disconcerting experience for a pet owner or aviculturist. Sometimes the death is anticipated, but most of the time it is not. Acute (sudden) deaths occur from time to time, even in the best of aviaries. As discussed in previous articles, the avian tendency to mask disease symptoms can "hide" an illness until the bird unexpectedly passes away.
In avian practice, the veterinarian is sometimes placed in the role of a detective in investigating disease outbreaks. Often, when examining a sick patient, it is learned that a previous bird (or birds) had died (usually suddenly). In most cases, the deceased bird(s) is not presented for post-mortem examination but is casually discarded. It is this practice that we would like to discourage because there is so much that the bird owner and avian veterinarian can learn by examining the bird(s) after death.
There are many reasons why a necropsy is desirable if a death has occurred. Some of the most important reasons are listed below:
1) A dead bird may serve as a "sentinel" for the group. By discovering exactly what killed a member of the flock, the other members can be properly medicated to avert further losses.
2) The deceased bird can be used to monitor the health status of the group. For instance, the necropsy may reveal that roundworms, tapeworms, or other parasites are present in the flock.
3) A necropsy may reveal a noncontagious condition (such as Egg-yolk Peritonitis or an injury) and reassure the aviculturist that an epidemic is not impending.
4) If the bird has been previously treated, the veterinarian can determine exactly why the treatment program failed. Was there an undiagnosed organism present? Were the internal organs
damaged beyond repair? Did the bird have an "untreatable" disease such as cancer? Did internal bleeding occur from a clotting defect?, etc.
5) A necropsy may provide clues regarding how long a bird has been sick. This is often important information in legal cases to determine if the seller is responsible or not for having sold a sick bird.
6) New diseases can be studied and reported. For instance, Macaw Wasting Syndrome could not have been discovered and studied if necropsies had not been performed.
The list of reasons for performing necropsies is lengthy. The aforementioned are the most important.
There are many reasons for not performing necropsies in the minds of pet owners and aviculturists. A few of these are listed below:
1) A pet owner may be reluctant to have his or her pet dissected. The veterinarian is faced daily with the emotions that pet owners generate and the extreme attachments that develop between humans and pets. The owner should be reassured that the dead animal will not be "torn apart," but rather that a few small tissue samples will be carefully removed. This will help benefit avian medicine in general. The veterinarian will continue to learn, and the information generated may protect the next bird the owner acquires. A cosmetic necropsy can be performed if the owner wants the body following the examination. We feel strongly that if an animal must die, we must be sure we know why and learn from it. To not do so makes the bird's fight to live meaningless. To learn something about why an animal dies always helps the living in some way and assures that the bird did not "die in vain." Of course, we do not force the issue if an owner does not wish a necropsy to be performed. Tact and compassion for the owner's feelings are of paramount importance to us as veterinarians and human beings.
2) Some people fear that a reportable disease will be discovered. Many importers throw dead birds away rather than be quarantined for Newcastle's Disease, Psittacosis, etc.
3) Likewise, others fear that an incriminating, but not reportable disease, will be discovered (such as Papovavirus). A reputable veterinarian would never divulge privileged information of this kind. The aviculturist can only suffer more losses by ignoring the underlying reasons and causes for his losses. Ignorance can never lead to bliss when one ignores the death of a single bird or
multiple birds that were part of a group (private collection, breeding colony, etc.).
4) Some people simply don't care or are too lazy to have necropsies performed. These people have no business owning birds but are often the most upset when losses occur.
5) Others feel that having necropsies done is "too expensive." Most County laboratories and avian veterinarians will perform necropsies for reasonable fees. To not find out why a bird died because "it's too expensive" usually becomes much more expensive in the long run as the losses mount.
6) Another excuse is that "little is determined by a necropsy." This is absolute nonsense. An occasional necropsy may not be as helpful as anticipated, but these cases are unusual, especially as more becomes learned about avian diseases. Sometimes, a post-mortem examination will raise more questions than answers. These questions, however, soon become the foundation of medical inquiry and research.
There are, of course, many other reasons for "not performing" necropsies. It is hoped that the reader can now see how important the necropsy is to proper medical diagnosis, management, and treatment of avian diseases.