Who would imagine that a simple endoscopy on your pet parrot could identify problems in her kidney, spleen and ovaries all at the same time? Ask any doctor about what an endoscopy (visual examination of the body’s interior) can do, and the response is bound to be be limited to — ‘well maybe scope out something swallowed?’ And that’s it. It turns out, that saying: good things come in small packages, may just apply to our feathered friends while in surgery! It seems their dimunitive size ensures that several complex procedures can be done all at once. According to avian medicine specialist, Dr Marcy J Souza, “Due to the small body cavity, veterinarians can do a number of biopsies (removal of a portion of tissue for sample testing) via avian endoscopy at the same time.” Souza, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee will be in the city for the next two weeks to lecture at the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) for their first ever national workshop on ‘Wild and Pet bird medicine.’ The workshop that was kicked off on Monday as part of the Indo-US Fulbright programme, will continue till February 11.
With a number of veterinarian faculty from institutions around the city attending, including those from zoos and oustation participants — the hope is to garner an interest in this speciality that is often sidelined due to a lack of interest or demand in veterinary universities. TANUVAS Vice-Chancellor, Dr R Prabakaran said at the inaugural function on Monday, “Often pet and wild birds are considered the source of several zoonautic diseases, so it is important that awareness is created on how to handle the same.”
The lectures as part of the workshop will cover a wide range of topics such as - avian anatomy, physiology, pathology nutrition, infectious diseases, zoonoses, radiology, hands on training in wound management and first aid and orthopaedic surgery, among others. Dr Marcy explained, “In the first week, we’ll stick to the basics like how to handle different kinds of birds during treatment.” She elaborated, “For instance, birds like parrots and cranes will peck at the eyes to defend themselves and heavier birds like the eagle are strong on their feet. It’s important to understand how to protect yourself while handling them (birds).” Week two will be dedicated to the understanding surgical procedures such as fracture repair, spaying and ortho-surgeries. For the purpose of training, Dr Marcy added with a laugh, “We will be using peppers for the avian endoscopic procedure.” She described, “The capsicum will remain whole, as each participant will prepare to nick a small hole and then practice on picking up the seeds inside that will represent the internal organs of the bird.”
Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate General, Chennai, David J Gainer, the Dean, TANUVAS, Dr S A Asokan, Director of Clinics, TANUVAS, Dr S R Srinivasan and Dr R Sridhar , Course Director and Professor and Head of the Department of Veterinary Pathology offered felicitations on the occasion.
