Morphological and Morphometric Evaluation of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Domestic Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) using Ultrasonography

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Boshra Elyasi 1
Mohammad Nasrollahzadeh Masouleh 1
Kaveh Parvandar Asadollahi 1
Mobina Rahmani 2
1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, SR. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Doctor of veterinary medicine, Faculty of Specialized Veterinary Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/ijvcs.2026.15183.1111
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic structure of various segments of the gastrointestinal tract in domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica). For this purpose, 10 healthy adult domestic pigeons were selected from Tehran. Prior to the evaluations, all birds were subjected to an 8-hour fasting period. The structural examination and wall thickness measurements of the gastrointestinal organs were performed using an ultrasonography system (Mindray Z5 model) equipped with a 10 MHz linear probe. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (Repeated-measures ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc test, with a significance level of P < 0.05. The results indicated that the different segments of the gastrointestinal tract were clearly visible within the mid-to-caudal region of the coelomic cavity, extending along the cranial-to-caudal axis. The mean and standard deviation of the wall thickness in the various segments were: crop (0.4 ± 0.1 mm), proventriculus (0.4 ± 0.1 mm), ventriculus (0.5 ± 0.6 mm), duodenum (0.1 ± 0.2 mm), and jejunum/ileum (0.5 ± 0.4 mm), and a statistically significant difference was observed between the means (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study succeeded in determining the baseline sonographic values for the wall thickness of the gastrointestinal organs in domestic pigeons. The findings of this study, as baseline data and preliminary measurements, provide a framework for examining the thickness of the crop, proventriculus, ventriculus, and intestines in the domestic pigeon population of the study area.
Keywords
Ultrasonography
Gastrointestinal tract
Wall thickness
Domestic pigeons
Subjects
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Iranian Journal of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Volume 20, Issue 1 - Serial Number 34
Spring &Summer 2026
September 2026
Pages 81-91