Thromboelastography Values in Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots ( Amazona ventralis ): A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Comparative Coagulation Physiology
• Avian Hematology

Background:

• Thromboelastography (TEG) offers a comprehensive analysis of blood coagulation.
• Its application in avian species remains largely unexplored.
• Assessing TEG's utility in psittacine birds is crucial for advancing veterinary diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability and preliminary hemostatic profile of thromboelastography (TEG) in Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis).
• To establish baseline TEG parameters for healthy psittacine birds.
• To compare avian coagulation profiles with those of mammalian species.

Main Methods:

• Kaolin-activated TEG was performed on citrated whole blood from 8 healthy Hispaniolan Amazon parrots.
• Key hemostatic parameters including time to clot initiation, clot formation time, alpha angle, maximum amplitude, and lysis were measured.
• Data were analyzed to determine minimum and maximum TEG values.

Main Results:

• TEG parameters ranged from: time to clot initiation (2.6-15 min), clot formation time (4.3-20.8 min), α angle (12.7°-47.9°), maximum amplitude (26.3-46.2 mm), and lysis (0%-5.3%).
• These values indicate a state of relative hypocoagulability compared to published canine and feline data.
• Potential factors influencing results include in vitro temperature and activation method.

Conclusions:

• Thromboelastography (TEG) is applicable for assessing coagulation in psittacine birds.
• Preliminary findings suggest lower coagulability in these birds compared to mammals.
• Further studies across diverse avian species and methodologies are needed before clinical recommendation.