Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blue and gold macaw with lung cancer causing paralysis
By Fredholm, Daniel V et al.·Published in Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pulmonary adenocarcinoma with osseous metastasis and secondary paresis in a blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old female blue and gold macaw was brought in after suddenly becoming lethargic, losing her appetite, and unable to move her legs within just two days. A vet found that she had weakness in both hind limbs and signs of nerve issues. X-rays showed multiple growths in her chest and spine, indicating a serious condition. Sadly, the bird was euthanized, and a necropsy revealed she had lung cancer that had spread to her bones, causing pressure on her spinal cord. This case highlights the importance of considering lung tumors in birds showing signs of nerve problems.
People also search for: macaw paralysis treatment · bird lung cancer symptoms · why is my macaw lethargic
Abstract
A 16-yr-old female blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) was presented with an acute history of lethargy, inappetance, ataxia, and paralysis. The bird had rapidly progressed from a normal state to complete inability to perch or ambulate within a 48-hr period. Neurologic examination revealed bilateral hind limb paresis with upper motor neuron signs present in both legs and the vent. Radiographs identified multiple nodular soft-tissue opacities within the cranial coelomic cavity and a single nodule superimposed with the thoracic spine. The bird was euthanized and submitted for necropsy, which revealed a primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma with multiple sites of osseous metastasis, including the vertebrae, and subsequent spinal cord compression. This is the first report of pulmonary adenocarcinoma in this species, although reports of similar tumors in other psittacines have been published. This report, along with others previously published, suggests that vertebral metastasis of primary pulmonary tumors may be more common in psittacine species than previously recognized and, as such, should be considered as a differential diagnosis in psittacine birds exhibiting signs of neurologic dysfunction attributed to a spinal cord lesion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23272361/