Hepatitis

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It is not a single disease but a general term for liver damage that can be caused by infections, toxins or a poor diet over a long period. In birds the liver has many important jobs, from digesting fat to making the substances needed for blood clotting, so liver disease shows up throughout the body, including on the beak and feathers. Because there are many possible causes, a vet check is essential.

Infections:

• bacterial, for example salmonella, E. coli and mycobacteria (avian tuberculosis);
• chlamydia, which causes psittacosis in parrots and ornithosis in pigeons and other birds;
• viral, for example herpesviruses and adenoviruses, and in parrots also polyomavirus;
• fungi and parasites, less often.

Toxins:

• aflatoxins from mouldy seeds, maize and peanuts;
• heavy metals, especially lead and zinc;
• poisonous plants, household chemicals and some medicines.

Diet and metabolism: a long-term seed-only diet, especially fatty seeds such as sunflower, combined with little exercise, leads to fat building up in the liver. We cover this in more detail in a separate article on fatty liver disease.

Acute hepatitis, for example from an infection or poisoning, can develop very quickly. Chronic hepatitis develops over weeks and months, so the signs are easily missed.

Droppings:

• yellow or lime-green urates (the urine part of the droppings, which is normally white) – one of the most important signs of liver disease;
• diarrhoea or looser droppings.

Beak, claws and feathers:

• an overgrown, soft or flaky beak and overlong claws;
• poor-quality feathers, discoloured or with dark bars, slow moult;
• increased feather loss, and in some birds scratching or feather plucking;
• skin discolouration and flaking.

General signs:

• loss of appetite and weight loss;
• lethargy, apathy, ruffled feathers;
• a swollen abdomen due to an enlarged liver or fluid in the abdomen;
• difficulty breathing, because the enlarged liver or fluid presses on the air sacs;
• bruising and bleeding, for example from the beak or when claws are trimmed, because the blood clots less well;
• in some birds, behavioural changes such as irritability.

• the urates in the droppings are yellow or bright green;
• the bird is breathing with its beak open, or its tail visibly bobs with each breath;
• the abdomen is swollen;
• the bird is bleeding or there are bruises on the skin;
• it is not eating and sits ruffled up on the floor of the cage;
• it has seizures, loses its balance or behaves strangely;
• you suspect it has swallowed something poisonous, such as lead, zinc or mouldy food.

Based on the examination, the vet will suspect liver disease and confirm it with blood tests, for example bile acids and liver enzymes. X-rays or ultrasound show the size of the liver and any fluid in the abdomen. To find the cause, tests for chlamydia and other infections and heavy-metal tests are done, and sometimes a liver biopsy.

Treatment depends on the cause. For bacterial infections and chlamydia the vet prescribes antibiotics, for heavy-metal poisoning drugs that bind the metals and help excrete them, and for fungal infections antifungals. For fatty liver, a gradual change of diet is key.

Supportive care is also given: fluids, easily digestible and balanced food, and liver-support supplements, as decided by the vet. The liver can recover well if the cause is removed in time. Do not give the bird medicines or liver supplements on your own.

• Put the sick bird in a warm, dark and quiet place and separate it from other birds.
• Do not force-feed it or pour water into its beak.
• Do not trim its beak or claws yourself, as it could bleed heavily.
• Throw away any suspicious or mouldy food.

Prevention:

• a varied diet with vegetables and good-quality food, not just seeds;
• fresh food stored dry, free of mould;
• plenty of exercise and flying;
• keep lead, galvanised objects, poisonous plants and chemicals out of the bird's reach;
• quarantine and health checks for new birds.

Hand a sick wild bird over to a rescue centre or a vet, as wild birds in Croatia may not be kept at home long-term.

Liver inflammation itself is not contagious, but some of its causes are. Chlamydia (psittacosis or ornithosis) and salmonella can pass to people. When handling a sick bird, wear gloves, avoid stirring up dust from droppings and feathers, and wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning. If you develop flu-like symptoms after contact with a sick bird, see a doctor and tell them you keep birds.

Hepatitis in birds has many possible causes, from infections and toxins to poor diet. Yellow or green urates, an overgrown beak and feather changes are signs that should not be ignored. The earlier the cause is found, the better the liver's chances of recovery.