FATTY LIVER SYNDROME IN CAPTIVE BUSTARDS - CLINICAL, PATHOLOGICAL ANDEPIDEMIOLOGIC FINDINGS

Clinical, pathological, and epidemiological findings are presented on fatty liver syndrome mainly in houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii), but also in some other bustard species. Of 72 houbara bus tards, 34 (47%) had fatty liver diagnosed post-mortem. Males and femal es were equally susceptible, and both adults and juvenile birds were a ffected. Bustards with fatty liver had significantly greater abdominal fat reserves than unaffected birds. Other predisposing factors includ ed poor husbandry, translocation between aviaries, handling and captur e paresis.