VMD 512: Zoo/Wild Animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

CLINICAL SIGNS AND DIAGNOSIS

• Elevated serum uric acid helps the diagnosis in general, in addition to the specific examination for urate crystals in joints.
• In crocodiles or lizards or chelonians affected by gout, general depression is there but antemortem-diagnosis is difficult in visceral gout.
• In articular gout, the affected leg joints become painful and the animal is reluctant to move.
• In advanced arthritic gout, the swollen joints can be easily seen or palpated.
• In captive aviary species, affected by visceral gout, antemortem- diagnosis is difficult as in case of many species.
• In articular gout, urate tophi may be seen esp. in advanced cases (seen as whitish areas at joints).

Note

• The signs of articular gout often are confused with bumble foot (Muroxide test helps to confirm uric acid crystals and in this test, take one drop of nitric acid on a clean slide and mix it with the crystals aspirated from a urate typhus and slowly flame it till this becomes dry and cool. Now, add one drop of ammonia and presence of a reddish-purple color will indicate the presence of uric acid.
• In raptors or other aviary species, when you ventral surface of digits, uniform swelling may be seen in entire digits of both the limbs and of course and experienced zoo veterinarians will naturally try to differentiate the perch based problems or lesions, in these aviary species reared under captive conditions.