Diabetes Mellitus in a Nanday Conure (Nandayus nenday)

Abstract

A 3-year-old male nanday conure (Nandayus nenday) was presented with acute lethargy, polyuria, and polydipsia. Marked persistent hyperglycemia, glycosuria, and ketonuria were also noted. The serum insulin concentration (< 3 microU/ml) was lower than reference ranges described for other psittacine birds. Initial treatment included insulin, antibiotics, and supportive care. Insulin therapy was adjusted based on results of serial blood glucose curves. Histopathologic examination of pancreatic biopsy samples revealed normal exocrine pancreatic tissue with rare lymphoplasmocytic infiltrates and absence of pancreatic islets, suggesting atrophy of endocrine pancreatic tissue. Resolution of clinical signs and a normalized blood glucose curve were obtained after administration of long-acting insulin (0.3 IU/kg IM AM and 0.25 IU/kg IM PM). One month after initial presentation, the conure was admitted for severe dyspnea and lethargy and died despite supportive care. Histopathologic examination of the pancreas revealed nearly total depletion of the endocrine pancreas with moderate lymphoplasmocytic pancreatitis. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the remaining pancreatic islets was negative for the presence of insulin and positive for glucagon. Results of polymerase chain reaction tests for Chlamydophila psittaci performed on tissues from the liver, spleen, and lung were negative. Transmission electron microscopy did not demonstrate viruses. Clinical and pathological findings observed in this case are consistent with insulin-dependant type 1 diabetes.

Spontaneous Diabetes Mellitus in Animals

“…Pancreatic islets were almost totally destructed with absent immunohistochemical reaction to insulin. Lymphoplasmocytic pancreatitis features the lesions of exocrine pancreas in almost all cases described [157]. A similar situation was described in African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus), in which destructions produced by pancreas inflammation were concurrent with compensatory proliferation and hypertrophy of the islets cells [159].…”

“…Small parrots such as nanday conure (Nandayus nenday) [157] or in chestnut-fronted macaw (Ara severa) [158] present diabetes clinically expressed as polyuria, polydipsia, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, glucosuria and ketonuria. Pancreatic islets were almost totally destructed with absent immunohistochemical reaction to insulin.…”

Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus in a Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi)

“…9,11,12 Histopathologic results from birds diagnosed with DM may reveal no histologic lesions of the pancreas or may show lesions including pancreatitis, multifocal islet cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy, islet atrophy, and neoplasia. 5,10,12 The histopathologic results of the pancreas in this Bali mynah showed many normal islets with some foci of hyperplasia.…”

“…3 A diabetic nanday conure (Nandayus nenday) was managed for approximately 1 month; it was treated for approximately 1.5 weeks with a diluted formulation of an intermediate-acting porcine insulin (Caninsulin, Merck, Sharp, & Dohme Animal Health, Kenilworth, NJ, USA; 0.4 IU/kg q12h), which produced unsatisfactory results, and for approximately 2.5 weeks with diluted, long-acting human insulin (Humulin U, 0.25-0.35 IU/kg q12h) before its death. 5 However, a chestnut-fronted macaw (Ara severa) was managed for 22 months on Caninsulin (0.5-0.67 IU/kg q12h), and a military macaw (Ara militaris) was managed for over 2 years with bovine PZI (0.1-0.15 IU/kg IM q12h). 11 In this case, we decided to treat the Bali mynah with PZI, and for several months the bird responded well to insulin therapy once an appropriate dosage was established.…”

Comparative occurrence of diabetes in canine, feline, and few wild animals and their association with pancreatic diseases and ketoacidosis with therapeutic approach

“…The clinical diagnostic lesions such as ketonuria, renal glucosuria, hypoinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, polydipsia, and polyuria were found infrequently in species such as in Ara severa and Nandayus nenday [ 78 , 79 ]. The absence of immune histochemical reaction to insulin nearly damages all islets of Langerhans.…”