PODODERMATITIS IN CAPTIVE REARED BLACK STILTS (HIMANTOPUS NOVAEZELANDIAE)

CHANG REISSIG E.; TOMPKINS D.M.; MALONEY R.F.; SANCHA E.; WHARTON D.A.

JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE

AMER ASSOC ZOO VETERINARIANS

Lugar: Lawrence; Año: 2011 vol. 42 p. 408 - 413

1042-7260

A potential cause of pododermatitis (?bumblefoot?) was investigated in captive reared juvenile black stilts at the Department of Conservation ?Kaki Recovery Program? at Twizel, New Zealand. To address the importance of substrate, the development of clinical signs in individuals was compared between aviaries containing rubber mats and/or salt footbaths, and controls. No effect of either experimental manipulation of the environment was apparent on pododermatitis development. With substrate appearing not to be an initiating factor, and a previous study indicating that the birds? diet fulfills the nutritional requirements for rearing black stilts in captivity, this study suggests that insufficient space for exercise may instead be the cause.