Blood Lipid Diagnostics in Psittacine Birds

Lipids are the main biomolecular constituents of plasma and occupy a central place in the pathophysiology of several common diseases of parrots. Dyslipidemias frequently occur in psittacine birds in relation to a variety of lipid accumulation disorders and female reproductive disorders. The five main lipid classes in the plasma are sterols, fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, and sphingolipids. Most lipids are transported in the blood within lipoproteins. Lipidologic diagnostic tests to characterize dyslipidemias and risk factors of lipid disorders include routine biochemical tests such as cholesterol and triglycerides, lipoprotein testing, and newer comprehensive techniques to assess whole lipid pathways using lipidomics.