Comparison of the efficacy of amphotericin B and terbinafine in the treatment of avian gastric yeast disease in budgerigars

Aim: This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of two different antifungal agents, terbinafine (60 mg/kg) and amphotericin B (100 mg/kg), in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) diagnosed with avian gastric yeast, based on clinical and laboratory findings. Material and Method: In this study, the efficacy of terbinafine and amphotericin B was compared in 80 budgerigars diagnosed with avian gastric yeast. Clinical examination, fecal analysis (native, Giemsa staining), pre- and post-treatment evaluation, histopathological examination, and statistical analyses were used as methods. Result: The clinical, microscopic, histopathological, and statistical effects of terbinafine and amphotericin B treatments were evaluated in 80 parakeets diagnosed with avian gastric yeast. Clinical symptoms were similar in both groups at the outset; by the end of day 14, symptoms had subsided more markedly in the amphotericin B group, and no mortality was observed. Fungal structures with the typical morphology of Macrorhabdus ornithogaster were detected using Giemsa staining. Histopathologically, inflammation, tissue damage, and fungal infiltration were detected in the ventriculus and proventriculus. Statistical analyses showed no significant changes in live weight after treatment, but clinical improvement was higher in the amphotericin B group. Conclusion: Amphotericin B has been found to provide higher clinical improvement and survival rates compared to terbinafine in the treatment of avian gastric yeast. Neither antifungal agent had a statistically significant effect on the live weight of birds. The findings support the efficacy of amphotericin B and the safety of antifungal treatments. Keyword: Amphotericin B, Avian Gastric Yeats, Parakeets, Terbinafine