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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #160: Avian Candidiasis

Bird veterinary case - Medium - August 10, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A hand-reared chick is presented for poor crop emptying and regurgitation.
  2. The owner reports the bird has become quieter and less eager to feed.
  3. Examination shows a distended soft crop with fermenting fluid and feed material.
  4. White plaques are visible coating the oral cavity and proximal crop.
  5. Cytology identifies budding yeast organisms.
  6. Overgrowth of Candida commonly causes oral and crop disease in young or debilitated birds.

Diagnosis

Avian Candidiasis

This case is most consistent with Avian Candidiasis because the chick has delayed crop emptying, white plaques, and budding yeast on cytology. The most important clues are the crop involvement and fungal oral lesions, which make a simple mechanical crop impaction less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this bird case supports the provided diagnosis, Avian Candidiasis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A hand-reared chick is presented for poor crop emptying and regurgitation.
  2. Clue 2: The owner reports the bird has become quieter and less eager to feed.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: Examination shows a distended soft crop with fermenting fluid and feed material.
  2. Clue 4: White plaques are visible coating the oral cavity and proximal crop.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Cytology identifies budding yeast organisms.
  2. Clue 6: Overgrowth of Candida commonly causes oral and crop disease in young or debilitated birds.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this bird case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Avian Candidiasis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Avian Candidiasis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.