Post-mortem diagnosis please - Parrotfinch

[Finchy]

Hi

Can anyone see anything diagnostically meaningful in this photo please? Any ideas as to cause of death? Death occurred somewhere between 3 and 13 hours prior to the photo (my guess ~8 hours).

Details:
- RFPF hen.
- Less than one year old.
- Has a nest of three fine looking 10 day old babies.
- Died on the nest overnight, after showing very minor signs of malaise yesterday - sitting a bit too still and quiet, but with no fluffing or sleeping.
- This was sudden. Was zooming about as usual in the days prior.
- Has clean eyes, nose and vent.
- Crop is entirely empty.
- Chest muscles are full and healthy. Superficially, a handsome bird.
- All other Parrotfinches in the same aviary are behaving normally. Only this one affected.



Thanks

[Niki_K]

Hard to say without opening up the body cavity- looks like possible bruising/internal bleeding by the edge of the rib cage, but a vet might be able to give you more info.

[Craig52]

It probably died of exhaustion carrying the weight of those huge rings,sorry only joking,but yes there does seem to be some bruising under the rib cage unless that is the liver. Craig

[mattymeischke]

Yup, that'd be the liver.
No fat in the belly, but really needs to be opened up.

Sorry for your loss.

[Finchy]

Thanks guys. I thought "liver" too, but have never seen it with my own eyes before. I wonder what caused it, and so suddenly?

Matty, when you say "no fat in the belly", do you mean as in too lean, or that it's a good thing (e.g. probably not a fatty liver?)? I couldn't bring myself to open her up. I know I should...just so hard to do!

The mother of this bird also died in my only known case of egg-binding in 7 years. So I don't think this bird was from a great genetic line, even though she was such a beauty on the outside. Her father is still going strong and is a very dominant bird, so I hoped his genes would help. Or it's something I did/am doing and she was the first to pop off?? Hope not...

[vettepilot_6]

Think you might have to open her up to do proper post mortem....have you wormed them? didn't by chance use the wrong wormer? or overdose?

[mattymeischke]

Matty, when you say "no fat in the belly", do you mean as in too lean, or that it's a good thing (e.g. probably not a fatty liver?)? I couldn't bring myself to open her up. I know I should...just so hard to do!

You can see subcutaneous fat through the skin. Parroties usually have some fat to see.
This thread will give you the idea:
viewtopic.php?f=173&t=10413&hilit=Jenny+Craig

...but I'm no expert. Take it to a vet if you want a real opinion.

[Myzomela]

Sorry to come in late on this.

Finchy, your hen was in excellent body condition which suggests her death was fairly quick (less than 24 hrs).
The dark area under the rib cage on the bird's right side is the liver. Below it are loops of the intestine- duodenum- with the pinkish area being the pancreas.
The skin looks a little dry which may suggest dehydration.
The crop appears to be empty but that may just be the angle of the photograph. If empty, then she obviously didn't eat for several hours before death.
The abdomen is not swollen so an enteritis or swollen liver are unlikely.
There is also no soiling of the vent and no trauma evident

As others have suggested you cannot tell much more without opening the bird up.

Thanks for your excellent photo- really helpful.

PS: The Bill is in the mail...

[SamDavis]

I'll have a go. Sometimes experts miss the obvious whereas ignoramuses see things for what they are.
1. It's been real cold lately.
2. The bird has no breast feathers.
3. Therefore the bird froze to death.
Just trying to help cheer up a sad situation.

[Craig52]

And you say i'm a smart ar$e