Cardiovascular parameters in capitive blue-fronted amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva, Linnaeus, 1758) with varying body condition scores

Abstract

This study aims at determining the echocardiographic, radiographic and tomographic parameters of blue-fronted Amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) with varying body condition scores. Thirty-five birds grown in captivity were included in the study and allocated into groups according to their respective body condition scores: Lean, Ideal and Obese. The echocardiographic evaluation revealed that obese parrots presented lower right ventricle dimensions in diastole than lean parrots. The fractional shortening was considerably lower in obese parrots than in parrots with lean and ideal body condition scores, but without statistical significance. The flow rate and the aortic pressure gradient were lower in the lean group than in the ideal group. No differences were observed between the groups when comparing the radiographic and tomographic measurements. Therefore, as is the case in mammals, we can conclude that alterations in the nutritional state of blue-fronted amazon parrots lead to cardiovascular dysfunctions detected only through an echocardiographic evaluation, which represents an important diagnostic tool for these animals. Computed tomography scans allowed a better identification of the structures of the cardiovascular system without the overlaying structures of the celomatic cavity observed in radiographic images. However, radiographic examinations should still be considered the standard screening examination to identify cardiac alterations such as increased or reduced organ dimensions. Standardizing the technique and describing the measurements obtained in this study may serve as a basis for further research.