Avian Exam Checklist

Date________________Technician______________________________________________

• Observation

Bird

• Normal/BAR/singing
• Abnormal/QAR/depressed
• Fluffed up/on bottom of cage
• Squinting/eyes closed
• Heavy breathing/panting/tail bob

Cage

• Size/appropriate/too small/too large
• Spacing of bars/ appropriate/too far apart
• Clean/needs cleaning
• Consistency of droppings
• Proper substrate/improper substrate
• Perches/too many/not enough/ wrong kind/too large/too small
• Bowls/proper size/proper amount/proper location
• Food/pellets/seed/fresh food/treats
• Toys/appropriate size/appropriate quality/appropriate amount

• Weight ___________________________grams
• Appropriate weight/too thin/too heavy
• Feathers
• Normal/abnormal
• Feather loss
• Stress bars
• Damaged/broken/shredded/plucked
• Blood feathers
• Unzipped barbules
• Dull
• Greasy
• Stained
• Abnormal color
• Masses
• Lack of powder down (species specific)
• Preen gland normal/abnormal
• Skin
• Normal/abnormal
• Dry/flaking
• Redness/inflammation/blood
• Pitting on the surface
• Masses
• Head
• Normal/abnormal
• Symmetry
• Inflammation
• Bruising
• Eyes
• Normal/abnormal
• Symmetry
• Discharge
• Opaque lens
• Masses
• Ophthalmic exam performed Yes/No
• Beak
• Normal/abnormal
• Symmetry
• Abnormal wear/scissor beak/over bite/under bite
• Pitting on the surface/severe flaking/cracks
• Nares
• Normal/abnormal
• Symmetry
• Blockage
• Discharge/blood
• Masses
• Ears
• Normal/abnormal
• Inflammation
• Odor
• Discharge
• Oral Cavity/Mouth
• Normal/abnormal
• Abscesses
• Epithelial plaques
• Epithelial projections in tact/missing
• Necrotic tissue
• Masses
• Crop
• Normal/abnormal
• Distended/doughy/empty
• Bruising/burns/fistula
• Foreign body
• Masses
• Keel Bone and Pectoral Muscle
• Normal/abnormal
• Too thin/too heavy
• Wings
• Normal/abnormal
• Range of motion/joint integrity
• Broken feathers/blood feathers/missing feathers
• Fractured or dislocation of wing
• Ulcers/masses
• Ectoparasites
• Cloaca
• Normal/abnormal
• Clean/accumulation of feces/diarrhea
• Signs of dilation or prolapse of tissue
• Masses
• Feet/Legs
• Normal/abnormal
• Symmetry
• Range of motion
• Feet grasping strong/weak
• Plantar erosion/gout
• Scaly skin/ulcers/scabs/inflammation/necrotic tissue
• Masses
• Nail length/normal/abnormal
• Broken/missing/damaged
• Abdomen
• Normal/abnormal
• Ascites
• Eggs
• Hepatomegly
• Masses
• Hydration Status
• Normal/abnormal

References:
Exotic animal Care – Tully and Mitchell
Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician – Ballard and Cheek

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