An adult male barred owl in good post-mortem condition and poor body condition is presented for necropsy. Minimal subcutaneous and intracoelomic fat present. Pinpoint opacity present in OD lens. Heart appears grossly normal with several crystals present on pericardial sac (suspect secondary to Euthasol administration). Greater vessels tan in color but no luminal narrowing. Lungs appear grossly normal and float in water. Ventriculus and proventriculus grossly normal but empty. Intestines grossly normal with small amounts of normal digesta present in lumen. Testicles enlarged but bilaterally symmetrical. Cranial pole of L kidney significantly enlarged. Diffusely enlarged and dark red to purple liver. Remainder of internal organs grossly normal

Dr. Staudenmaier, Ness Exotic Wellness Staff, 630-737-1281

Note: When Beth spoke to the vet on the phone, she did want it to be noted that his body condition is marked "poor" because he had some evidence of muscle wasting which is a side effect of kidney disease. She told me it was not due to anything we did ie. feeding or exercise.

1-12-22 Euthanasia at Vet & Notification of Death

Notification of Death given to USFW & IDNR (via email and permit application)
WAT Notification of Death_Barred Owl_1:12:22.pdf

1-11-22 Bloodwork Comparison Chart

011122_BDOW Bloodwork Chart Comparison

1-10-22 Medical Records

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011022_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord_p2.jpg

011022_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord_p3.jpg

8-20-21 Medical Records

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8-20-21 BDOW Recheck by Dr. Yang

The BDOW's condition has improved. His weight is up and his body condition is good. His beak looks like it is healthy and healing well. HIs heart sounds good and she did not hear too much of a murmur.

Bloodwork:
- Kidney values look normal, so medication dosage is still working fine
- WBC count normal
- RBC count is rising. It was at 35% last visit and is 37% this time. (Low end of normal is 40%.)
- As the RBC is rising, this shows he is not losing blood as he was before.

There were also no signs of blood or red blood cells in mute.

Recheck in 4-6 months if there are no issues.

*Dr. Yang is reluctant to stop any medications at this time. She said Famotadine is doing a good job preventing the hyper acidity that comes with kidney disease and causes the micro lesions in the GI tract which leads to bleeding/anemia. So, at this time we should continue all medications at the current dosages.

In terms of activity recommendations: she said he can attend programs if he is not baiting or stressed. He can also fly short distances. She said we should start by flying him one pass at about 20 feet or so to determine his reaction. If he is not panting or otherwise taxed, he can do one additional pass. We will need to condition him since he has not been active and we should watch him closely.

8-2-2021: West Nile Virus Vaccine Administration

Traci administered the WNV vaccine to the BDOW at Springbrook Nature Center.

8-1-2021: Beak Crack Photo

7-11-2021: Beak Crack Photo

6-2-2021: Beak Crack Photo

6-2-2021: Medical Records

060221_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord

6-2-2021: Vet Communication (Reported by Beth)

(reported from Beth)

I just got off the phone with Dr. Yang and below are her recheck findings as well as the discovery of a beak injury.

- No whole red blood cells present in fecal any longer. In fecal occult (more in depth test which involves staining) did show small partial pieces of red blood cells present.

- He is not anemic yet but RBC has gone down from 37.5% to 35%. True anemia is 30%

- This could be from prior blood loss or from "anemia of chronic disease" (which means his body is compromised from disease and cannot summon the resources necessary to create new red blood cells.)

- Rest of blood panel looks normal, uric acid under control and previously raised liver value is within a normal range.

- Weight is 24oz today. Was 25.4 last time he was seen.

- Heart murmur has not changed, about the same as last time.

- He is gripping well, so she believes tramadol is working.

- We can drop carafate for now , but keep other medications

- When she removed him from his box, discovered a cross shaped fracture on top of beak.

- Looks to be about a week old.

- She asked if he had hit his beak or if we saw any dried blood present lately

- She peeled off the layer that was coming off and there is an infection present under the keratin layer

- To prevent the infection from spreading she is prescribing 10 days of antibiotics and a recheck in 2-3 weeks.

5-28-2021: Vet Communication (Reported by Beth)

- BDOW was fasted for 24 hours in Feb, so there was no concern that the elevated uric acid level was due to excess protein in blood stream from food.

- She will look back at x-ray but does not believe she saw enlarged organs initially.

- Does not want to remove him from any medications until he is rechecked next Wednesday. (We need to bring in fecal for her.)

5-5-2021: Medication Directions

The Barred Owl continues to have medical issues that stem from kidney disease. While kidney disease cannot be cured, it can be managed with supportive care. This care includes the medications listed below. These medications should be given 1x every 24 hours.

Additionally, his heart murmur has increased in severity, so he should not leave his mew for walks, programs or any other reason. (In the future, this may change if we see improvements from heart medication.)

He has been prescribed Carafate and Famotadine for the ulcers causing bleeding in his GI tract,

Isoxuprine for his heart, Tramadol for joint pain associated with kidney disease and Allpurinol to

regulate the level of uric acid in his blood stream.

ONE HOUR BEFORE ANY OTHER MEDICATION

Carafate .7-1.0ml IN MOUSE

Carafate is in middle shelf of cupboard.

Carafate can hinder the absorption of other medications, so it is important that it be given separately

one hour prior.

AFTER ONE HOUR, REMAINDER OF MEAL WITH MEDICATIONS BELOW CAN BE GIVEN

Allopurinol 0.26ml

Isoxsuprine 0.

Famotadine 0.

Tramadol 0.

All four medications are in the refrigerator.

Please take note of his behavior and record it in the daily section. Some things to note: Did he engage with you (vocalize when you walked into his mew, took food from your glove, etc.?) Did he eat? Was he sleepy or dazed?

If you notice any behavior changes such as leaving food, lethargy, hunching with feathers puffed out, etc. please alert someone as soon as possible. If you have any questions or want further information, please don’t hesitate to contact someone on the board.

4-29-2021 : Vet Communication (Reported by Beth)

Below are the findings from today's BDOW vet visit. He was bright, alert and responsive and looks good, however, his clinical findings still reflect significant internal issues.

- There are still signs of infection in mute. It is down from 60% to 40%, but still present in a higher amount than is normal.

- Blood cells remain present in mute meaning GI bleed has not abated. An x-ray was done to determine if there was a foreign body or obstruction causing bleed, but none was found.

- Heart murmur is now audible on both sides of his heart (last time was only on one side) and appears to be worsening and potentially going from Grade 3 to 4.

Dr. Yang believes the above findings can be attributed to advancing kidney disease. Uremia (which is a raised level of urea and other waste compounds normally processed by the kidneys) can cause raised levels of acidity resulting in GI ulcers. I asked where she thought the infection was coming from. She said raptors by nature have a higher level of bacteria in their GI tract. The fact that the BDOW's levels are well above normal could mean his immune system is not able to handle the bacterial load and keep it in check. She is still not positive on why his mute is yellow, but believes it could be the result of an elevated liver enzyme.

The following medications are suggested:

- Stay on Allopurinol

- Go back on Carafate

- Go back on antibiotic (potentially Enrofloxacin or another one, she is still deciding.)

Adding two new additional medications:

- Famotadine (antacid, lowers level of acidity in GI tract which may help GI ulcers if they are caused by uremia.)

- Isoxasuprine (heart medication, vasodilator, helps circulation, common medication for birds.)

All of the above can be given 1x daily.

In regards to the two new medications, I let her know we needed to discuss all of this as a group prior to making any decisions.

Lori will be picking the BDOW up at 4pm and she will receive Dr. Yang's notes and instructions.

4-29-2021 : Medical Records

042921_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord.pdf

4-8-2021 : Medical Records

040821_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord.pdf

4-8-2021 : Vet Communication (Reported by Beth)

Below are Beth’s notes from my conversation with Dr. Yang earlier today regarding the BDOW. If any of this is unclear or you have questions, please let me know. I will send an additional email out tonight that Kristi, you can copy and send to the membership with medication and activity details. I have a call shortly but wanted to get this information out to all of you now.

- Uric acid level is back to normal so continue on same dose of Alopurinol

- There was an infection found in his mute. Raptors tend to have a greater bacterial count and differential than other birds, but in this case it is an infection. We were given Enrofloxacin for him for 10 days.

- Blood was present in his mute and when it was tested, was found to be the result of a GI bleed. This could be an isolated incident or could be indicative of kidney disease/failure. We were given a medication that coats the lining of the GI tract to hopefully mitigate the bleed. This is to be given once daily one hour after his other medication to insure the other meds have adequately absorbed.

- A heart murmur was detected. This could be the result of the infection or also the result of kidney disease/failure. His activity should be limited and he should not leave the mew. I asked about equipment and flying and the answer is NO. He should not be walked at this time either. We should look for signs of lethargy, feathers fluffed and issues perching as this could mean heart trouble has gotten worse.

EFA should be stopped for now. Keep up with COQ10 and NectonBio.

Some of the test results and symptoms the BDOW displays are consistent with kidney disease/failure (GI bleed, mute color, elevated enzyme, heart murmur) or they could be separate issues from one another and just be occurring concurrently. There is no way to know other than continued monitoring. Dr. Yang would like him rechecked in 2-3 weeks to see that his infection and GI bleed are gone. She will also check his heart at this time also. In the case the heart murmur continues, there is also medication that can be administered for it.

As I mentioned, an additional email will be coming tonight with medication information that can be sent to the rest of the group.

2-13-2021: Vet Communication (Reported by Beth)

Below are the metacam dosage recommendations and BDOW diagnosis/ treatment plan. Please let me know your thoughts on the BDOW's plan and if I should call re. a 24 hour dosage.

Please Cosequin to the diet once daily long term for joint support arthritis. You may also consider purchasing an omega 3 fatty acid Ultra EFA and give

0.13 ml in food once daily long term for joint support/arthritis.

I suspect this barred owl may have developed kidney disease in his older age and may be developing gout in the feet that is causing the abnormal

gripping behavior. We are starting long term pain medication Tramadol and allopurinol to control uric acid levels to try and prevent further gout in the

joints/feet. Please recheck chemistry bloodwork in 3 months to see if the allopurinol is adequately controlling uric acid levels. Continue to monitor mobility and grip. If he seems to have any issues perching or gripping, please let us know or recheck.

Allopurinol Give 0.13 ml by mouth or in some food every 12 hours LONG TERM. Shake well, keep refrigerated.

Tramadol Give 0.09 ml by mouth or in some food every 12 hours LONG TERM for pain.

Some thoughts:

- The BDOW will need both meds every 12 hours. I didn't notice this until I looked at the meds when I returned home. I can call and see if there is a dosage or medication that can be given every 24 hours instead since it will mean someone having to come out every night to feed him.

2-12-2021: Medical Record

021221_BDOW_(M)_MedicalRecord.pdf

2-2-2021 : Medication

Notes

We were directed to give the following medication and supplements until further notice:

Action Items

Allopurinol (Kidney medication) - Give 0.26 ml in some food every 24 hours LONG TERM. Shake well and keep refrigerated.

Continue Cosequin sprinkled on food daily (as we have been doing) for joint support/arthritis.

Omega 3 fatty acid Ultra EFA - .13 ml in food daily for joint support/arthritis. (I've ordered this and it should be here by the weekend).

Follow Up

We would like for volunteers to observe the BDOW's perching behavior over the next few weeks. If he seems to have any issues perching or gripping, please let us know. He will need his bloodwork rechecked in 1-2 months to see if the Allopurinol is adequately controlling uric acid levels.