Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Macaw with heart failure from atherosclerosis in major arteries
By Phalen, D N et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1996·Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Heart failure in a macaw with atherosclerosis of the aorta and brachiocephalic arteries.
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A female severe macaw, at least 11 years old, was brought in after suddenly becoming unable to exercise and having trouble breathing. X-rays showed her heart was enlarged, and further tests revealed serious issues with her heart and blood flow. Despite treatment, she sadly passed away about two and a half months later. A post-mortem examination found severe hardening of her arteries and significant heart and lung problems. This case highlights the importance of advanced imaging techniques for diagnosing heart issues in birds.
People also search for: macaw breathing problems · heart failure in birds · severe macaw exercise intolerance treatment
Abstract
A female severe macaw (Ara severa) that was at least 11 years old was evaluated for sudden onset of exercise intolerance and dyspnea. Radiography revealed a large heart silhouette, an increase in prominence of the brachiocephalic arteries, and a diffuse increase in opacity of the lungs. Lateral nonselective angiography revealed dilatation of both chambers of the right side of the heart and incomplete emptying of the right atrium. Alterations in the shape and position of the left-side heart chambers and reduction in blood flow through the brachiocephalic arteries and aorta were identified. Despite treatment, the bird died suddenly 2.5 months after the first episode of dyspnea. At necropsy, severe atherosclerosis of the aorta and brachiocephalic arteries, dilatation of all heart chambers, pulmonary edema, and severe hepatic centrolobular atrophy and fibrosis were identified. Correlation between the angiography and necropsy findings suggested that angiography could be an important diagnostic tool for the detection of cardiovascular disease in birds.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8870741/