Atherosclerosis in birds of prey: a case study and the influence of a one-day-old chicken diet on total plasma cholesterol concentration in different raptor and owl species

作者：Legler Marko^*; Kummerfeld Norbert; Wohlsein Peter

来源：Berliner und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenschrift, 2017, 130(7-8): 353-363.

DOI：10.2376/0005-9366-16009

• Folconiformes
• Accipitriformes
• vascular disease
• raptor nutrition
• aorta

Atherosclerosis is an important vascular disease of different avian species in captivity. There are discussed a lot of possible risk factors for atherosclerosis in birds, for example the nutrition, comparable to the human disorder. In this case study we describe atherosclerotic lesions in falcons (n = 17) and in species of the order Accipitriformes (n = 10) from 17 different owners that were fed a one-day-old chicken based diet, macroscopically, histologically, and in clinical cases (n = 10) by means of a radiographic examination and computed tomography.
Nine of these 27 raptors with several atherosclerosis lesions died suddenly without manifesting any clinical signs (n = 7) or suffering from this vascular disorder (n = 2). Atherosclerotic lesions were found mainly in the aorta and trunci brachiocephalici as well as in advanced cases in peripheral arteries, for example trunci pectorales, and coronary arteries with a high degree of narrowing of the affected blood vessels in some cases. A ruptured aneurysm of the ascending aorta associated with small focal atherosclerotic plaques was found in a Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus).
In radiographic and computed tomographic examinations atherosclerotic lesions were diagnosed mainly by calcifications. The atherosclerotic plaques were histological classified as type III (n = 2), type IV (n = 2), type V (n = 8) and type VII (n = 6) atherosclerotic lesions, respectively.
In a retrospective investigation on the dietary influence on the blood cholesterol concentration in 16 different wild raptor and owl species a one-day-old chicken diet led to a two- to four-fold times elevated total plasma cholesterol level compared to wild birds with a natural diet or a diet of mice and rats.

• 出版日期2017-8