Archive Case #71: Avian Heavy Metal Toxicity

Clinical Clues

1. A pet bird is presented for weakness, regurgitation, and intermittent neurologic signs.
2. The owner reports that it regularly chews on cage fittings and bits of household hardware.
3. The bird is quiet and occasionally shows tremors.
4. Radiographs reveal multiple dense foreign opacities within the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Laboratory testing supports toxic exposure from ingested foreign material.
6. Ingestion of lead or zinc commonly causes gastrointestinal and neurologic disease in companion birds.

Diagnosis

Avian Heavy Metal Toxicity

This case is most consistent with Avian Heavy Metal Toxicity because the bird has compatible signs together with a clear exposure history and metallic densities on radiographs. The most important clues are the chewing behaviour and imaging findings, which make an infectious cause less likely.

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.