Review - Gout In Chicken

Abstract

Chicken is more prone to gout due to uricotelic mechanism for excretion of nitrogenous waste and lack the enzyme uricase, which converts uric acid to less harmful substances. Uric acid itself is not toxic but precipitated crystals can cause severe mechanical damage to tissues like kidneys, heart, lungs, intestine (visceral gout) and also in the joints (articular gout). Gout is a multifactorial metaboic disease which involves infectious agents, nutritional factors and managemental prcatices. Infectious agents include Nephropathic Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV), Avian Nephritis Virus (ANV), Chicken Astrovirus (CAstV) and nutritional factors like high dietary calcium (>2%), high crude protein (> 30%), Hypovitaminosis A, Hypervitaminosis D3, dehydration, high sodium carbonate, Copper sulfate, mycotoxins in feed causes renal failure leads to gout. The managemental practices involves high brooding temperature thereby reducing the water intake and hence increasing chances of development of gout. In addition, products used on a routine basis and result into toxicity includes antibiotics, anticoccidials, manufactured chemicals, and pesticides can also induce gout in poultry. Clinical signs include decreased feed and water intake, lethargy, ruffled feathers, weight loss and abnormal droppings. Clinically, the body fluid reveals increase in TEC, TLC, Hb and PCV and decreased alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatases (ALP), serum total proteins, serum albumin and glutathione stimulating hormone (GSH). Grossly, chalky white deposits of urate crystals on the serosal surface of pericardium, liver, intestines, air sacs, kidneys and ureters. Microscopically, tissue sections show urate crystal deposition in parenchyma of the organs along with infiltration of inflammatory cells. Incorporation of low protein diets, jaggery mixed water, supplementation of B complex and electrolytes helps in the control of gout.