Vol. 8, Special Issue 1 (2023)

Poultry industry is facing a huge challenge to reduce the economic losses due to gout particularly when it affects young chick in masses. Gout leads to mortality, production loss as well as carcass condemnation in birds. Significantly high serum uric acid level (hyperuricemia) in a super saturated state may get deposited in kidney or joints or may deposit over most of the visceral organs including liver, heart, lungs, thoracic wall, abdominal viscera, spleen etc. The principal patho-physiological change in the background of gout is considered either overproduction or decreased utilization of uric acid or reduced renal clearance of uric acid, which leads to hyperuricemia. The pathways leading to hyperuricemia or gout may be different but result is same i.e. excessive deposition of chalky white uric acid crystals exclusively in kidney or joints or all over the viscera. Sporadic cases of gout may be observed in all age group of birds; however, massive outbreak of gout in all its form but more importantly renal gout has been recorded in chicks and starters characterized by heavy mortality, uneven growth pattern and heavy economic loss to poultry industry. Scientists world over are in search of therapeutic agents which could help in effective management and control of clinical cases of gout especially in the face of acute outbreak. Present day approach is to take measures which could restore the healthy functioning of kidneys by way of providing vitamin A supplementation, change of feed formulations, use of toxin binders and agents which could regulate renal physiology i.e. nephroprotective agents. The use of xanthine oxidase inhibitors viz. allopurinol and febuxostat is increasingly gaining importance in poultry gout management.