Like people, birds can break bones and develop diseases that cause problems with their musculoskeletal system. In this section, some of the most common problems involving bones and muscles in birds are covered.
Fractures
Birds do break bones and suffer joint dislocations. These problems can be challenging to treat, because some of the bones are pneumatic (air filled) structures that are part of the bird’s respiratory system. Also, bird bones contain more calcium than human bones. The high calcium content tends to make bird bones brittle and more prone to developing multiple fractures in the break area.
Despite these challenges, treatment for fractures in birds has advanced greatly in the past 20 years. Fracture stabilization techniques have been developed to help many birds with broken bones. Because bird bones often heal more quickly than bones in people, dogs, cats, and other mammals, rigid stabilization during the natural healing process may be all that is required. In other cases, surgery or implanted supports might be required to return the bird’s bones to normal functioning.
The repair of fractured bones in birds can be complicated by bone infection. For example, osteomyelitis is a painful inflammatory disease of bones often caused by bacterial infection. Bacteria can spread from the site of the infected bone through the bloodstream and cause potentially life-threatening infections in other locations in the body. Antibiotics are critical to prevent bloodborne infection. If osteomyelitis is present at a bone fracture site, repair and healing of fractures can be delayed or impossible. Blood tests and cultures, x-rays, and CT scans can be used to determine the presence of osteomyelitis.
During recovery from fractures, physical therapy may be prescribed for your bird. This prevents joints from becoming frozen or stiff and preserves as much range of motion as possible. Your avian veterinarian or the orthopedic specialist will provide you with instructions for any physical therapy your bird may need. To ensure a complete recovery for your bird, you will need to carefully and completely follow these instructions.
In addition to therapy, pain medication may be prescribed for your bird. These medications may be given in food or water or by mouth ( see Giving Medication to Pet Birds).
Gout
Gout ( see Kidney and Urinary Tract Disorders of Pet Birds) is not actually a primary bone or muscle disorder, but it is a disease that can cause severe pain in birds’ joints and muscles of birds. Gout is caused by the abnormal deposition of uric acid crystals (the white chalky substance normally excreted in birds’ urine) in organs and joints in the bird’s body. With gout, the bird’s kidneys fail, and uric acid, normally made in the liver and carried through the bloodstream to be excreted by the kidneys, builds up in the blood and settles out in joints, such as those in the feet. Walking and perching becomes so painful that the bird will rest on the bottom of the cage or on any available flat surface. The bird will move only when it must and may vocalize in pain when it does. Veterinarians will prescribe medications to decrease further uric acid production and to treat pain, but long-term prognosis is poor.
Sarcocystosis
Sarcocystosis is a disease caused by microscopic parasites. It is the cause of death in many parrots housed in outdoor cages in the southern United States. The parasites invade soft tissues, including the lungs, kidneys and muscles.
