Hematological profile of exotic Psittaciformes

Abstract

Although the use of blood count is routine in companion animals, they are not routinely used for clinical evaluation of wild birds. The scarcity of information on reference values limits its use in Veterinary Medicine. Laboratory tests can serve as an important tool in monitoring the health of birds, diagnosing diseases, preoperative evaluation, and in treatment, mainly due to the presentation of very nonspecific signs in the presence of disorders and diseases in these species. In recent years, there has been an increase in pet bird medical clinic care and, consequently, a greater need for the quality of services. Therefore, this study aims to determine the main reference intervals in the blood count of galah cockatoos, and scarlet-chested, red-rumped, Bourke’s and Turquoise parrots. These birds are from a private farm located in the region of Concórdia – SC, Brazil. Claw clipping was performed on 10 birds of each species, male and female, adults, and a blood smear was made from a drop of blood. The average of leukocytes, thrombocytes and erythrocytes, as well as the standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated to estimate the hematological values, in addition to the differential determination of leukocytes.