Can I Test My Pet Bird for Vitamin D?

Last Updated on March 10, 2024 by Mitch Rezman

Hi Tracy

Hope all is well.

I received this inquiry and just need it fact-checked before I reply.

Thank you in advance.

” Please stop telling people that you can do a blood test for vitamin D in a bird. According to Dr. Sakas and the Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hosp, there is no way to check for vitamin levels in a bird.

Thank you.”

Hi Mitch, technically that is correct. You can not test for vitamin D. You can test for Calcium and more specifically ionized calcium in certain breeds of birds. Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium.

With all due respect, how is Dr. Sakas learning about Vitamin D levels that he writes about here?

Vitamin D3 levels in chickens are measured in this document

Blood and serum samples are shown to measure Levels of 25-OH-D3 (vitamin D) in this document.

Measurement of 25- hydroxycholecalciferol in captive grey

by Michael Stanford BVSc MRCVS, Birch Heath Veterinary Clinic.

The selected birds were individually weighed before blood sampling via the wing vein and were subsequently euthanized with a lethal injection of sodium barbiturate (Euthatal, Merial Harlow, United Kingdom).

Blood was placed in 5 mL serum tubes with serum clot activator, gel separator (BD Vacutainer, SST II Advance Plus Blood Collection Tubes—BD, Plymouth, United-Kingdom).

Samples were allowed to clot for 1.5 h at room temperature and serum was collected, following centrifugation for 5 min at 1,300 × g in Eppendorf tubes and stored at −20°C pending analyses for serum levels of 25-OH-D3 using a commercially available ELISA kit specifically designed for chicken serum or plasma (MyBioSource, San Diego, CA).

Tracy de la Navarre (wife of Brian de la Navarre DVM)

Fri, Dec 20, 2020 (7 days ago)

Mitch, Byron (de la Navarre DVM) states there is an uncommon test being conducted at universities due to expense that tests for a metabolite of Vit D 3 and can give you more details via a phone call or email.

He feels this person’s specific stance is inaccurate and hostile. He’d be glad to speak with you.

https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/204615

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/21218514_Transfaction_of_avian_vitamin_D-dependent_calbindin-D28K_5%27_flanking_promoter_sequence_in_primary_chick_kidney_cells

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/19737987_Tissue-specific_regulation_of_avian_vitamin_D-dependent_calcium-binding_protein_28-kDa_mRNA_by_125-dihydroxyvitamin_D3

We have studied the regulation, by 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3), of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (28-kDa CaBP) mRNA in chick tissues in vivo.

Greetings Dr. Sakas (now deceased)

We have met a few times over the years.

I frequently received this ticket from one of your patients

Lfinn on Dec 15, 2019 related,

“Please stop telling people that you can do a blood test for vitamin D in a bird. According to Dr. Sakas and the Midwest Bird and Exotic Animal Hosp, there is no way to check for vitamin levels in a bird”.

I reached out to Dr de la Navarre who indicated Dr. Marc Mitchell was at the forefront of avian vitamin D testing.

I have other papers indicating tests for vitamin D in birds using both serums and tissue before I publish my post I wanted to fact-check with you, that Lfinn… was accurate about her quoting of you.

Best – MitchR

IN MEMORIAM: DR. PETER SAKAS