Polycystic Kidney Disease Associated With Unilateral Lameness in a Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

A captive 10-year-old female northern pintail (Alias acuta) with a history Of unilateral lameness was diagnosed at necropsy with polycystic disease most severely affecting the right kidney. The lameness was attributed to pressure on the sacral nerve plexus caused by the Unusually large cyst arising from the right kidney. Polycystic kidney disease previously has been considered an incidental finding in avian species and has only been reported in a pigeon. The clinical significance of polycystic kidney disease in this pintail was attributed to the mechanical pressure caused by the cyst rather than renal dysfunction.