Beak grooming

[erik7181]

So i was reading this months issue of BIRD TALK and theres an article on beak grooming. Is this something i should ask my vet about? both my conures have very pointy beaks but then again i heard that trimming is mostly when the beak becomes damaged. However i know there are many on here that have insight.

 

[antoinette]

Hi there
I am no expert, but believe a birds beak should only be trimmed if there is a problem, such as overgrown beak or something more serious. Make sure the bird has lots of toys to chew on.
the net,found this interesting link below pertaining to birds beaks

Parrot Grooming - Buffalo Parrot

 

[Cowtown]

good info there Ant....

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Auggie had his beak 'groomed' regularly when he was very young and growing a lot.

Basically they just buffed out the flaky parts and smoothed the edges so his beak closed well, then put on some mineral oil. It was great, he loved it (perhaps not the process, but the result).

I get the impression that it is a bit uncomfortable - maybe itchy - when they're beak is peeling; so if we can help them out why not.

I just recently went to a new vet for a check up and nail trim, and they asked if I'd want them to groom his beak as well. It had been years, and he was in a phase of 'beak shedding' so I said sure, why not. Except they didn't clean up his beak like my old vet used to, instead they just sanded the tip of the beak. The TIP was in perfect condition, the peeling was elsewhere. I couldn't for the life of me imagine why they would do it this way ... until I realized some people might want to dull their birds beak if they're often getting bit - then I was disgusted and a little angry.

This is one (of oh so many) reason that I'm not going back to this particular vet again.

I think for young birds a *proper* beak grooming can be a wonderful thing. But this is not about sanding down the tip of the beak.

 

[Pheonix Rising]

During sloughing I would take a nail care pad ( the one that has the file and buffer in one ) 1st give it a quick light sanding all over using the file
add 2 drops of vege oil or such like and then give it a good buffing
made his beak lovely shinny smooth and helped reduce the sloughing

 

[erik7181]

Well I do chi chis nails on my own. But when I first hot him he did have a spot on his beak that was messed up and the vet called it beak trauma. I guess he's do for a check up so I mite as well ask the vet.

 

[BlueToast]

you would easily loose at least 2 fingers maybe even a thumb if you tried to buff out my severe's beak. Kind of of embarassing to need both hands to count to 3.