A little bit concerned about my little Yuna

[KittyKollision]

I bought Yuna this February from a local market and I love her to bits. She was just a baby put in with a small cage of adults, and she hasn't grown much bigger.
About a month ago I noticed that her beak has changed - it's a bit flaky and scratched up. Sorry if my pictures aren't the best (the camera just won't focus). Her bottom beak is terrible. It has little holes and just looks deformed. I think it's Scaley Face but I'd like a second opinion (I just can't afford to take her to the vets - I would if I could) I know that I can buy the treatment needed, but again, I want some more opinions.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, my, I'm so glad you're reaching out. Beak treatment can be so critical, and few of us here are qualified to do it, much less advise about it. Could you get a veterinary opinion?

Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

There are also many variables that contribute to beak health... diet (not just seeds!), stress, handling... can we help you with any of those things?

I'm glad you found us.

 

[Marileen]

Hello
I haven't got the qualification to put a diagnoses here.....but I can tell you that this isn't right.(I always used to work for and with vets).. She is realy ill....and you realy have to get her to a vet. I'm pretty sure I know what it is...Her feathers aren't in a good shape too as far as I can see.
But please take her to a good vet.
I'm thinking of you....

 

[LaManuka]

I know avian vets are expensive but there’s no substitute for professional advice and treatment. Yuna is worth it.

 

[EllenD]

There's absolutely NO WAY to diagnose what type of parasitic infection he has without a Veterinarian taking a simple scraping of the area and looking at it under a microscope (Yes, your Budgie is a male, by the way...If you treat a tiny little Budgie with Ivermectin, which is extremely toxic if applied topically by the way, assuming he has Scaly Face Mites and he doesn't, then you're putting him at extreme risk...When a bird needs to be treated with Ivermectin for a parasite such as Scaly Face Mites, the Avian Vet with give the bird an INJECTION of Ivermectin, in the proper dose based on the bird's weight, and NOT apply the Ivermectin topically, the way that you would, because Ivermectin is so very toxic to birds and should not be applied topically to them EVER...It's not like treating a larger animal like a dog, cat, or even a rabbit, etc. with Ivermectin drops, spray, etc. If you spray Ivermectin on your Budgie you can so easily kill him with it because you have no idea how much of the poison is going to seep into their bloodstream through their skin...That's why you MUST get your bird to a proper Avian Vet so the correct dosage of Ivermectin can be administered through an injection, once is all it takes, and that's only IF it's actually Scaly Face Mites, which no one can diagnose this way..

There are several different types of parasites, and several different types of mites that look this way, Scaly Face is only one of them, and they all require different treatments.

Again, you just CANNOT go ahead and buy Ivermectin on your own and apply it topically to such a small bird, whether it be a spray, drops, etc., doesn't matter, you have no way of knowing whether you're overdosing/poisoning your little tiny bird. Ivermectin MUST be given to ALL BIRDS by injection only, in a metered-dose. You'll very likely poison and kill you Budgie if you just spray/apply topical poisons to him, he's just too small...Even a Cockatoo is too small to apply Ivermectin to topically, they get injections too, any bird does, because that's just how deadly it is...And it's the only thing that will treat Scaly Face Mites, if that's what it is...

So please, get your Budgie to an Avian or even an Exotic's Vet as soon as possible, because if it is a destructive mite like Scaly Face, it's going to start causing permanent deformities to his beak and face...But please don't risk poisoning him topically, as it only takes a tiny little bit too much of Ivermectin on his skin and he'll die...

 

[FlyBirdiesFly]

When you get a pet, it’s your responsibility to take it to the vet if it gets sick... if you cannot afford vet care, then you really shouldn’t have birds. Please, please find an avian vet near you and take Yuna in to get her treated. It does look like Scaly Face Mites but the only way to know is to bring her to a vet. I really hope you can get her treated and everything turns out okay...

 

[ChristaNL]

If not a vet, is there a budgy-breeder near you? (not for treatment, but they recognize most symptoms)

I also do not like the state of the feathers (pruning with that beak might be a tad difficult of course), the wide stance and the overgrown nails ... I haven't had budgies for ages, but this one really needs to be looked at by an expert.

 

[EllenD]

If not a vet, is there a budgy-breeder near you? (not for treatment, but they recognize most symptoms)



I also do not like the state of the feathers (pruning with that beak might be a tad difficult of course), the wide stance and the overgrown nails ... I haven had bugies for ages, but this one really needs to be looked at by an expert.

I also thought the same thing, this Budgie has multiple health issues, such as splayed legs, which little can be done about now, although getting his toenails trimmed would probably help out a bit, they are extremely long, and at this point the vein has probably grown out so far that they are all going to bleed when they're cut, but they must be done...And the feathers are really very unhealthy looking...

This Budgie needs to get to a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist ASAP, for not only the mite/parasite infestation, as that is going to start causing deformities to his face/beak, but also because those nails need to be trimmed by someone who knows what they're doing ASAP too...

What is this bird's daily diet?

 

[ChristaNL]

I was more (smallish, underweight and underdevelopped bird) thinking in lines of a mild case of French Moult ( kruipersziekte in NL - I had to look for the translation/ sorry took me some time) but that could be because I had a lot of polyoma on the forumbrain lately.
(since 70% of budgies and tiels are carier...)
Could just as easily be a bad diet or lots of inbreeding of course.


Anyway -> Get to the CAV if you can.

 

[KittyKollision]

Yunie has always been smaller than my other birds (all of which have no health problems at all) and I've always been a little suspicious about her breeder but anyway I've always spoiled her with her diet - regular seeds, apples, carrots, and millet sprays.
Also YES I am aware Yuna is a boy... I'm just a bit stuck in my ways...
I love Yuna, I really do, but I am still hesitant to take her to my local vet because of their ridiculous prices. (It's $80 just to walk in...) I really just want to be sure that it's a vet she needs, so I can save up for it.

 

[itzjbean]

Yunie has always been smaller than my other birds (all of which have no health problems at all) and I've always been a little suspicious about her breeder but anyway I've always spoiled her with her diet - regular seeds, apples, carrots, and millet sprays.
Also YES I am aware Yuna is a boy... I'm just a bit stuck in my ways...
I love Yuna, I really do, but I am still hesitant to take her to my local vet because of their ridiculous prices. (It's $80 just to walk in...) I really just want to be sure that it's a vet she needs, so I can save up for it.

Your bird needs a vet. Heed the advice given here and start saving. Many vets have payment plans that you can pay off a little bit every month (mine does). $80 is nothing compared to the endless joy and love you will get from seeing your little one recover and get better.

 

[KittyKollision]

There's absolutely NO WAY to diagnose what type of parasitic infection he has without a Veterinarian taking a simple scraping of the area and looking at it under a microscope (Yes, your Budgie is a male, by the way...If you treat a tiny little Budgie with Ivermectin, which is extremely toxic if applied topically by the way, assuming he has Scaly Face Mites and he doesn't, then you're putting him at extreme risk...When a bird needs to be treated with Ivermectin for a parasite such as Scaly Face Mites, the Avian Vet with give the bird an INJECTION of Ivermectin, in the proper dose based on the bird's weight, and NOT apply the Ivermectin topically, the way that you would, because Ivermectin is so very toxic to birds and should not be applied topically to them EVER...It's not like treating a larger animal like a dog, cat, or even a rabbit, etc. with Ivermectin drops, spray, etc. If you spray Ivermectin on your Budgie you can so easily kill him with it because you have no idea how much of the poison is going to seep into their bloodstream through their skin...That's why you MUST get your bird to a proper Avian Vet so the correct dosage of Ivermectin can be administered through an injection, once is all it takes, and that's only IF it's actually Scaly Face Mites, which no one can diagnose this way..

There are several different types of parasites, and several different types of mites that look this way, Scaly Face is only one of them, and they all require different treatments.

Again, you just CANNOT go ahead and buy Ivermectin on your own and apply it topically to such a small bird, whether it be a spray, drops, etc., doesn't matter, you have no way of knowing whether you're overdosing/poisoning your little tiny bird. Ivermectin MUST be given to ALL BIRDS by injection only, in a metered-dose. You'll very likely poison and kill you Budgie if you just spray/apply topical poisons to him, he's just too small...Even a Cockatoo is too small to apply Ivermectin to topically, they get injections too, any bird does, because that's just how deadly it is...And it's the only thing that will treat Scaly Face Mites, if that's what it is...

So please, get your Budgie to an Avian or even an Exotic's Vet as soon as possible, because if it is a destructive mite like Scaly Face, it's going to start causing permanent deformities to his beak and face...But please don't risk poisoning him topically, as it only takes a tiny little bit too much of Ivermectin on his skin and he'll die...

I am aware Yuna is in fact a male but that's not the point. I would never go out and do this treatment without professional advice and assistance. Please don't assume I would risk her life like that.

 

[KittyKollision]

When you get a pet, it’s your responsibility to take it to the vet if it gets sick... if you cannot afford vet care, then you really shouldn’t have birds. Please, please find an avian vet near you and take Yuna in to get her treated. It does look like Scaly Face Mites but the only way to know is to bring her to a vet. I really hope you can get her treated and everything turns out okay...

I have raised birds all my life without any needing vet treatment. I am a student living on very little money and that doesn't mean I can't care for an animal. I'm simply being cautious. Yuna is my partner in crime but I still need to take everything into consideration before using any of my savings. Pet insurance and veterinary bills are expensive, and things I would need to save up for.

 

[KittyKollision]

If not a vet, is there a budgy-breeder near you? (not for treatment, but they recognize most symptoms)



I also do not like the state of the feathers (pruning with that beak might be a tad difficult of course), the wide stance and the overgrown nails ... I haven had bugies for ages, but this one really needs to be looked at by an expert.

I also thought the same thing, this Budgie has multiple health issues, such as splayed legs, which little can be done about now, although getting his toenails trimmed would probably help out a bit, they are extremely long, and at this point the vein has probably grown out so far that they are all going to bleed when they're cut, but they must be done...And the feathers are really very unhealthy looking...

This Budgie needs to get to a Certified Avian Vet or Avian Specialist ASAP, for not only the mite/parasite infestation, as that is going to start causing deformities to his face/beak, but also because those nails need to be trimmed by someone who knows what they're doing ASAP too...

What is this bird's daily diet?

Her diet consists of regular budgie seed mix, red millet sprays, and some fruit and vegetables (usually apple or carrots). Her food is changed every 2 days.
I am suspicious about her breeder - as when I bought her she was shoved into a small cage full of adult budgies that was not clean in the slightest. Online they also have some negative reviews.
I bought Yunie cause she so clearly wanted out from that overcrowded cage and she's been quite happy living with me.

 

[KittyKollision]

Yunie has always been smaller than my other birds (all of which have no health problems at all) and I've always been a little suspicious about her breeder but anyway I've always spoiled her with her diet - regular seeds, apples, carrots, and millet sprays.
Also YES I am aware Yuna is a boy... I'm just a bit stuck in my ways...
I love Yuna, I really do, but I am still hesitant to take her to my local vet because of their ridiculous prices. (It's $80 just to walk in...) I really just want to be sure that it's a vet she needs, so I can save up for it.

Your bird needs a vet. Heed the advice given here and start saving. Many vets have payment plans that you can pay off a little bit every month (mine does). $80 is nothing compared to the endless joy and love you will get from seeing your little one recover and get better.

The payment plan would be a great idea. I'll have to ask them about when I see them tomorrow. Otherwise it looks like I'm relying on my savings...