Picacismo psicogénico em psitacídeos
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2010
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Os Psittaciformes, que usualmente designamos como psitacídeos, são a ordem na qual se incluem as diversas espécies de papagaios que comummente encontramos como animais domésticos, e que ainda mantêm grande parte das características selvagens da sua espécie. Compreender o comportamento e a biologia das espécies constitui um princípio fundamental para que se possam criar as condições ambientais que proporcionem bem-estar, quer físico, quer psicológico. A criação de aves psitacídeas em cativeiro ou a sua captura do meio selvagem têm influência ao nível do comportamento e no aparecimento de problemas a este nível.
Dentro das patologias comportamentais, o picacismo assume maior destaque sobretudo por toda a complexidade que o envolve, mas também pela elevada frequência com que se apresenta na clínica de aves psitacídeas. Sendo uma patologia multifactorial, cujas etiologias podem ser de origem orgânica ou de origem comportamental, torna-se difícil fazer uma dissociação clara entre factores comportamentais e factores de natureza orgânica, incluindo nestes o maneio ambiental e nutricional que assumem um papel fundamental na manutenção do equilíbrio orgânico e na manifestação de um comportamento normal. O picacismo define-se como uma condição em que a ave arranca ou tritura as penas, em múltiplas áreas do seu corpo, causando danos nas mesmas e podendo mesmo estar associado a comportamentos de automutilação. O tratamento envolve a correcção do maneio ambiental e nutricional, treino e tera-pias de modificação comportamental e, se o caso clínico o justificar, envolve o uso de fármacos psicotrópicos. É um trabalho de paciência e que por vezes tarda na obtenção de resultados satisfatórios.
Foram estudados três casos clínicos, de três espécies diferentes de aves psitacídeas, Psittacus erithacus, Amazona aestiva e Myiopsitta monachus, que se apresentaram à consulta com sinais clínicos indicativos de distúrbios comportamentais, com alteração do estado normal das suas penas, concomitante com alterações ao nível orgânico, sobretudo nutricionais e do maneio em geral. Nos três casos clínicos foi estabelecido um diagnóstico de picacismo com uma etiologia multifactorial e uma componente comportamental substancial.
Apenas no caso clínico n.º 1 houve um acompanhamento clínico mais prolongado. Não foi necessário o recurso a terapia com fármacos psicotrópicos, mas sim a correcção do maneio ambiental e nutricional e a utilização de terapias de modificação comportamental. Nos casos clínicos n.º 2 e 3, além do referido para o caso anterior, foi incluída terapia farmacológica, nomeadamente, no primeiro com fármacos psicotrópicos e um análogo hormonal, e no segundo apenas com fármacos psicotrópicos. Nestes dois últimos casos, a ausência de empenho e acompanhamento não permitiu verificar resultados satisfatórios relativos ao problema em estudo.
The Psittaciformes that we usually assign as psitacine birds are the Order in which di-verse species of parrots are included and are commonly found as pets although keeping great part of the wild characteristics of its species. Understand the behaviour and the biology of the species constitutes a basic principle so that they can create the environmental conditions pro-viding welfare either physical or psychological. The captivity breeding of the psittacine birds or its capture in the wild has influence in its behaviour and in the development of problems of this nature. Within the behavioural pathologies the feather picking assumes great difference especially due to its complexity, and also how frequent it appears in the psitacine birds’ clinical practice. Despite being a multifactorial pathology whose aetiologies can be behavioural or organic related, it becomes difficult to make a clear dissociation between them, including in it the husbandry conditions which assume a fundamental role and maintenance of the organic balance and revealing a normal behaviour. The feather picking is defined as a condition where the bird pulls out or chews the feathers in various parts of its body, causing damages in it and can even be associated to self-mutilation behaviours. The treatment involves the correction of environ-mental and nutritional issues, basic training and behavioural modification therapies and, if the clinical case justifies it will involve the use of psychotropic medication. It is a very patient task that sometimes takes too long to get satisfactory results. Three clinical cases of three different psittacine bird species were studied: Psittacus eri-thacus, Amazona aestiva and Myiopsitta monachus. They were presented to the consultation with indicative clinical signs of behavioural disturbances, with damage, removal or loss of its feathers, concomitant with alterations at the organic level, mainly nutritional, and non appropriate environmental conditions. It was established a diagnosis of feather picking with a multifactorial aetiology and a substantial behavioural component. In the clinical case nr 1 there was a longer follow up and it was not necessary to come to a therapy with psychotropic medication but correction of husbandry issues and the use of behavioural modification therapies. Apart from the previous mentioned case, it was necessary to use psychotropic medication in the clinical case nr 2 and 3 but in the latter was added a drug for hormonal therapy. In these last 2 cases it was not able to determine satisfactory results due to lack of empowerment and follow up interest.
The Psittaciformes that we usually assign as psitacine birds are the Order in which di-verse species of parrots are included and are commonly found as pets although keeping great part of the wild characteristics of its species. Understand the behaviour and the biology of the species constitutes a basic principle so that they can create the environmental conditions pro-viding welfare either physical or psychological. The captivity breeding of the psittacine birds or its capture in the wild has influence in its behaviour and in the development of problems of this nature. Within the behavioural pathologies the feather picking assumes great difference especially due to its complexity, and also how frequent it appears in the psitacine birds’ clinical practice. Despite being a multifactorial pathology whose aetiologies can be behavioural or organic related, it becomes difficult to make a clear dissociation between them, including in it the husbandry conditions which assume a fundamental role and maintenance of the organic balance and revealing a normal behaviour. The feather picking is defined as a condition where the bird pulls out or chews the feathers in various parts of its body, causing damages in it and can even be associated to self-mutilation behaviours. The treatment involves the correction of environ-mental and nutritional issues, basic training and behavioural modification therapies and, if the clinical case justifies it will involve the use of psychotropic medication. It is a very patient task that sometimes takes too long to get satisfactory results. Three clinical cases of three different psittacine bird species were studied: Psittacus eri-thacus, Amazona aestiva and Myiopsitta monachus. They were presented to the consultation with indicative clinical signs of behavioural disturbances, with damage, removal or loss of its feathers, concomitant with alterations at the organic level, mainly nutritional, and non appropriate environmental conditions. It was established a diagnosis of feather picking with a multifactorial aetiology and a substantial behavioural component. In the clinical case nr 1 there was a longer follow up and it was not necessary to come to a therapy with psychotropic medication but correction of husbandry issues and the use of behavioural modification therapies. Apart from the previous mentioned case, it was necessary to use psychotropic medication in the clinical case nr 2 and 3 but in the latter was added a drug for hormonal therapy. In these last 2 cases it was not able to determine satisfactory results due to lack of empowerment and follow up interest.
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Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária