Radiographic findings in birds: a retrospective study at Hospital Veterinário Birds & Cia (2020–2025)

Authors

  • Ilnah Saldanha Marini Universidade Federal Fluminense https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0681-055X
  • Felipe Victorio de Castro Bath Universidade Federal Fluminense
  • Rafaela Rodrigues Almeida Ribeiro Anclivepa, Rio de Janeiro
  • Tiago Souza Dias Universidade Estácio de Sá

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v19n11e1870

Keywords:

animais silvestres, diagnóstico por imagem, radiografia

Abstract

In Brazil, approximately 1,900 bird species are recorded, and birds rank as the second most common companion animals in the country, making knowledge about these animals essential. Radiographic examination plays a key role in evaluating their various physiological systems. In this context, the aim of this retrospective study was to identify, at the individual level, the presence of radiographic alterations in the main physiological systems of birds treated at Hospital Veterinário Birds & Cia LTDA between 2020 and 2025. Only examinations performed at the hospital with complete data and radiographic reports were included. The birds were grouped according to their taxonomic orders. All diagnostic findings from each individual were considered and classified into the following categories: respiratory; cardiological; genitourinary; gastrointestinal; musculoskeletal; other evaluable structures or radiographically normal. A total of 1,909 birds from 10 taxonomic orders were analyzed, with Psittaciformes being the most prevalent (86.9%), likely due to their high occurrence as companion birds. Recurrent findings affecting the same physiological system in different examinations of the same animal were counted only once to determine prevalence per individual. The most frequently affected system was the gastrointestinal system (86.01%), followed by the respiratory (38.86%) and musculoskeletal systems (30.95%). Hepatomegaly was the most common finding, which may be associated with inadequate dietary management. This study contributes to the understanding of the most prevalent radiographic alterations and reinforces the importance of radiography as a complementary diagnostic tool in the clinical care of wild and exotic birds.

References

ABINPET. (2022). Caderno especial Abinpet-Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Produtos para Animais de Estimação. Agro Analysis, 35(1), 35–40.

ABINPET. (2025). Informações gerais do setor pet. Informações Gerais do Setor Pet.

Boehmer, C. B., & Ramadinha, L. S. (2018). Ocorrência da displasia coxofemoral em cães da raça Golden Retriever atendidos no Centro de Radiologia Veterinária no Rio de Janeiro. PUBVET, 12(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.22256/pubvet.v12n5a87.1-16.

Bortolini, Z., Matayoshi, P. M., Santos, R. V., Doiche, D. P., Machado, V. M. V., Teixeira, C. R., & Vulcano, L. C. (2013). Casuística dos exames de diagnóstico por imagem na medicina de animais selvagens - 2009 a 2010. Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, 65(4), 1247–1252. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-09352013000400042.

Cavinatto, C. C., Armando, A. P. R. N., Cruz, L. K. S., Lima, E. M. M., & Santana, M. I. S. (2016). Descrição anatômica de esqueletos de papagaios do gênero Amazona através da utilização de radiografias. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira, 36(2), 123–130.

Chaves, A. V., Queiroz-Filho, R. O. P., Silva, F. A. A., Miyaki, C. Y., & Santos, F. R. (2014). An Online mtDNA Tool for Identification of Neotropical Psittacid Species and Taxonomic Issues: A Study Case of the Amazona ochrocephala Complex. Natural Resources, 05(11), 634–652. https://doi.org/10.4236/nr.2014.511056.

Fraga, R. M., & Mazar, B. J. (1997). Handbook of the Birds of the World. El Hornero, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.56178/eh.v14i4.987.

Jungers, M., Nahum, C., Luiz De Oliveira Faccioni, A., Perticarrari, B. C. S., Bueno, E. R., & Gonçalves Pita, M. C. (2015). Perigos do consumo monótono de sementes pelas aves: Revisão. PUBVET, 9(4), 189–194.

Krautwald-Junghanns, M.-E., Pees, M., & Reese, S. (2010). Diagnostic imaging of exotic pets: birds-small mammals-reptiles. Schlütersche.

Kuhnen, V., & Kanaan, V. (2014). Wildlife trade in Brazil: A closer look at wild pets welfare issues. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 74(1), 124–127. https://doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.18912.

Naguib, M. (2017). Avian radiography and radiology. Part 1. Companion Animal, 22(8), 614–621. https://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2017.22.8.486.

Oliveira, M. B., Viana, V. F., Brito, B. G. M., Bezerra, B. M. O., & Silva, F. M. O. (2024). Diagnóstico por Imagem na Clínica de Animais Silvestres em Fortaleza/CE. Ciência Animal, 32, 11–19.

Pacheco, J. F., Silveira, L. F., Aleixo, A., Agne, C. E., Bencke, G. A., Bravo, G. A., Brito, G. R. R., Cohn-Haft, M., Maurício, G. N., Naka, L. N., Olmos, F., Posso, S. R., Lees, A. C., Figueiredo, L. F. A., Carrano, E., Guedes, R. C., Cesari, E., Franz, I., Schunck, F., & Piacentini, V. Q. (2021). Annotated checklist of the birds of Brazil by the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee—second edition. Ornithology Research, 29(2), 94–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43388-021-00058-x.

Pavelski, M., Silva, D. M., & Froes, T. R. (2016). Radiografia das cavidades craniana e nasal em afecções neoplásicas em cães: características e limitações. Veterinária e Zootecnia, 23(2), 164–173.

Piacentini, V. Q., Aleixo, A., Agne, C. E., Maurício, G. N., Pacheco, J. F., Bravo, G. A., Brito, G. R. R., Naka, L. N., Olmos, F., & Posso, S. (2015). Annotated checklist of the birds of Brazil by the Brazilian Ornithological Records Committee. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia, 23(2), 91–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03544294.

Roldàn-Clàra, B., Medellín, X. L., Espejel, I., & Arellano, E. (2014). Literature review of the use of birds as pets in Latin-America, with a detailed perspective on Mexico. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 3, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2014-10-3.5-1-18.

Schwinden, G., Souza, A., Machado, D., Cabral, M., Martins, M., & Araújo, L. (2018). Esteatose Hepática em Papagaio-Verdadeiro. Saúde Animal Zoovet, 28(3), 27–29.

Sharma, S., Teekas, L., & Vijay, N. (2023). Protein Repeats Show Clade-Specific Volatility in Aves. Molecular Biology, 57(6), 1199–1211. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026893324010163.

Thrall, D. E. (2019). Diagnóstico de radiologia veterinária. Guanabara Koogan S.A.

Tôrres, R. C. S., Nepomuceno, A. C., Miranda, F. G., Souza, I. P., Coelho, N. D., Pinto, P. C. O., Prestes, R. S., Melo, T. K. D., Correa, J. C., & Berbert, L. H. (2019). Radiologia dos ossos e articulações de cães e gatos. Caderno Técnico Da Escola Veterinária Da UFMG, 93, 34–35.

Toyama, V. N. Y., Barros, M. A., Queiroz, A. B. P. S., & Nascimento, D. C. (2022). Lipidose hepática em papagaio-verdadeiro (Amazona aestiva) adultos: Revisão. PUBVET, 16(5), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v16n05a1110.1-16.

Published

2025-11-26

Issue

Section

Medicina veterinária

How to Cite

1.
Marini IS, Bath FV de C, Ribeiro RRA, Dias TS. Radiographic findings in birds: a retrospective study at Hospital Veterinário Birds & Cia (2020–2025). Pubvet [Internet]. 2025 Nov. 26 [cited 2026 Oct. 24];19(11):e1870. Available from: https://ojs.pubvet.com.br/index.php/revista/article/view/4384