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Diagnosis: Abdominal Mass with Abdominal Hernia

Lab Animal volume 33, pages 20–21 (2004)Cite this article

Respiratory distress, dyspnea, and tachypnea are common signs in sick birds and can be associated with a space-occupying lesion in the coelemic cavity. The absence of a diaphragm means that any mass can compress the lungs and air sacs, causing respiratory problems. Besides an enlarged liver, neoplasia, and ascites, common space-occupying lesions in the coelemic cavity include an egg and enlarged reproductive tract. Consequently, the sex of a budgerigar is important when considering the possible source of a mass within the abdomen. A reproductive mass in a female budgerigar carries a better prognosis than a gastrointestinal or hepatic mass in either sex. Another cause of respiratory distress in budgerigars is pulmonary infection, and the high white blood cell count suggested that this might be the case in this bird. Common infections include Chlamydophila (previously know as Chlamydia) and aspergillosis.

Abdominal hernias in psittacine birds may be congenital or acquired, although the definitive etiology is unknown16,17. Abdominal herniation occurs most commonly in female psittacine birds, particularly in budgerigars. The hernia is frequently associated with weakening of the abdominal musculature associated with egg laying, egg-binding, dystocia, or hyperestrogenism16,17. In chronic egg-laying hens, alterations in calcium metabolism contribute to muscular atony and distension of the caudal abdomen. Hernias in either sex can result from trauma, straining, or abdominal masses16,17.

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Figure 3: A barium-swallow contrast radiograph of the same 3-year-old male budgerigar in Fig. 1.

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  1. The author is a resident in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine and Surgery at the Bobst Hospital of The Animal Medical Center, 510 East 62nd St., New York, NY 10021.,

    Anthony A. Pilny DVM

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Correspondence to Anthony A. Pilny DVM.

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Pilny, A. Diagnosis: Abdominal Mass with Abdominal Hernia. Lab Anim 33, 20–21 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0504-20

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