Something wrong with his beak?

[Cliffordsmom]

I'm not sure if you can see Clifford's beak in this picture well enough to tell me but it looks to me like it's peeling pretty bad, kinda like when your fingernails peel. I know that they "shed" some of their beak once in a while, but it looks like there is a hole, or a really bad spot on it. Vet visit? I was trying to wait till we bonded a little better before taking him to the vet for the first time, but he is constantly rubbing it on his perch. He even wakes up in the middle of sleep, and climbs out of his little tent to rub his beak on his perch, then goes back to sleep. What do you think??
thanks guys
(The pic is a little fuzzy because I tried to enlarge it a little so you could see it, sorry 'bout that)

 

[roxynoodle]

I have to agree it doesn't look like a healthy beak to me. What is his diet? If he's eating seed, I would get him converted to pellets. Also does he have full spectrum lighting?

 

[osnyder]

My friend's green cheeks look like that. It looks like a lifetime of peeling, with a ridge where the peels sort of stop. His guys eat pretty well, he feeds them all Harrisons, but plenty of seed, too. I just don't know what to think!

 

[Cliffordsmom]

I have to agree it doesn't look like a healthy beak to me. What is his diet? If he's eating seed, I would get him converted to pellets. Also does he have full spectrum lighting?

He eats seed, actually, he picks out the sunflower seeds and eats those, when they are gone, he forrages at the bottom of his cage and when those are gone, he throws around the rest of his seed like an angry little thing. I have tried pellets, he wont touch them, also tried blueberrys, strawberrys, kale, broccoli, carrots, cantalope, apples.....nothing. sigh. He will not eat anything even if i take seed away, he just refuses to eat. no lighting.

 

[roxynoodle]

Some of them are very hard to get on pellets, but it can be done. The only one I could get my Blue Crown to try were the Zupreem Fruitblend. You can try eating them in front of him, and handing him one like it's a treat.

Or you can let him have seed in the morning and then take it away and give him only pellets the rest of the day.

Or start putting some pellets in the bowl, and each day, reduce the amount of seed and increase the amount of pellets.

Pete was on seed for 28 years and I got him on pellets.

And with not eating the fresh foods he needs pellets asap!

 

[Cliffordsmom]

I know, I'm very worried about his diet. I guess this happens a lot with birds from the pet store? We always took him apples when we went to see him and he ate them all up. Now he is just being picky I suppose. I'm just afraid that he will starve himself if I take his seed away. I know if I mix it with pellets he will eat the seed and nothing else....

 

[Echo]

It is not so much the peeling that would worry me, but the scratching. I would go to the vet if I were you. Yes you should improve his diet slowly, but I am just wondering why he wakes up at night just to scratch his beak.......

 

[roxynoodle]

For comparison here are pictures of Rowdy's beak. You are going to see pics of a very angry bird who does not like her picture taken anymore! So sorry they are blurry as she was screaming her head off, and moving around trying to attack the camera and kill it! Outside the cage would be better, but her camera hatred would probably also prevent me getting good pics, lol!

Don't worry, I gave her a Nutriberry to make up for it.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

It is not so much the peeling that would worry me, but the scratching. I would go to the vet if I were you. Yes you should improve his diet slowly, but I am just wondering why he wakes up at night just to scratch his beak.......

yes....I think the vet is sounding better and better by the day. sigh. I just don't want him to hate me for it. He's still scared of my hands and will not step up. He will come to my shoulder from the top of his cage, but won't let me touch him. I was trying to wait till he was more comfortable.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

For comparison here are pictures of Rowdy's beak. You are going to see pics of a very angry bird who does not like her picture taken anymore! So sorry they are blurry as she was screaming her head off, and moving around trying to attack the camera and kill it! Outside the cage would be better, but her camera hatred would probably also prevent me getting good pics, lol!

Don't worry, I gave her a Nutriberry to make up for it.

Roxy, Her beak looks so pretty. Now I'm really worried. And Clifford won't even have anything to do with nutriberrys :-( My poor little guy.

 

[roxynoodle]

You need to take a stand with the pellets. If he gets less seed each day, and more pellets he will begin eating them. Spend a good 2-3 weeks on conversion so he gets used to their presence, and eventually eats them.

 

[HalfInsane]

Just a thought. If he really likes apple, perhaps you could make him some kind of bird bread that contains lots of apple sauce (unsweetened), apple chunks, and ground up pellets? I know a lot of birds LOVE bird bread, and it'll get some nutrients in him while you try to convert him.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Just a thought. If he really likes apple, perhaps you could make him some kind of bird bread that contains lots of apple sauce (unsweetened), apple chunks, and ground up pellets? I know a lot of birds LOVE bird bread, and it'll get some nutrients in him while you try to convert him.

He won't even eat apple now that he is home....But at this point i will try it! I'll try ANYTHING. I'm also a little worried that he will not want to be a social bird anymore because he will not let me even pet him. like I said earlier, he will sit on my shoulder all day, but will not step up or let me pet him. Do you guys think he's just confused? He will play peek-a-bo with me for hours, hiding behind his toy and coming out when I say "where are you" but still no hand contact.

 

[roxynoodle]

Some birds just don't like being petted. Rowdy is one of them. I can play with her beak and feet, she climbs all over me, does my hair every day, and loves to play games with me. But, it is rare she lets me pet her, and it's never for very long. She will rub her face on my face and give kisses all day. But, she doesn't want to be touched much.

You will have to teach him to step up though. Give it a bit of time so he eventually starts eating favorite treats, so you have something to use for training. Or consider clicker training. I do consider step up a necessary skill though.

Did you see the pics of Rowdy trying to kill my camera for a beak comparison?

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Yes, I saw. I think the "attack dance" is the funniest thing in the world, Clifford does it to the 2 80lb dogs I have. Every time they are out and he is in his cage he runs over to one of his toys and throws it around, then squaks, then does the dance then lunges full force into his cage like he would just kill the dogs if those pesky bars werent in his way. So I know just what your tlking about when you say Rowdy wants to kill the camera. funny birdies....so entertaining

 

[roxynoodle]

I think that bird would take on Godzilla if she didn't like him!

She used to let me take her picture, lol! I almost did Merlin instead for you as she cooperates on picture taking, but I figured you should see a conure beak, and Nandays and Suns have similar beaks.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

Well her's looks a lot better than Clifford's and this picture doesn't even show you how bad it really looks. I called the vet, she said sounds like a severe vitamin a deficiancy. She doesn't want me to bring him in yet because hes still so nervous, but I can go today and pick up some special pellets. She also recomended that I take the sunflower out of his seed and use it strictly for training and special times, she said that its obviously his favorite and needs to be reserved. She also said that he looks like he needs a bath! Poor guy, he looks dirty :-( He won't take a bath because he wont stand on my hand to get in the sink and is scared of the water bin in the bottom of his cage, so she told me to use a spray bottle. Sounds like im going to have a cranky bird this evening.

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, scaly beaks usually do mean vitamin A deficiency. Get him a pellet. A lot of conures really seem to like the colored ones, but some only eat certain colors, and they poop different colors as well, which some people hate.

Some birds get totally addicted to sunflower seeds and don't want anything else.

Rowdy's beak is totally smooth with the one growth line near the end of the upper beak, and the one near the end of the lower beak. They look like white lines, and I think you can see them in the pictures.

And whether he likes it or not, he is just going to have to eat the pellets. Each day reduce the seeds and add the pellets. Once you see him eating pellets, you can just discontinue the seed.

Also keep trying the fresh foods. Eventually he is probably going to eat some of them. Eat them in front of him as well so he knows they are food.

 

[Cliffordsmom]

I guess if he is hungry enough he will eat right? He won't starve himself? at least in a couple of days he will be willing to do ANYTHING for a sunflower seed. haha.

 

[roxynoodle]

I don't think an adult bird will let itself starve to death, but I have heard of babies doing it when a person just gave pellets, in a brand new home, and no seed at all.

I converted Rowdy when I brought her home from the pet store by putting pellets on my plate and eating them. But, from day one, she wanted everything she saw me eat. So she was easy.

My Blue Crown was the most difficult. She, too, just wanted sunflower seeds. I first tried Harrison's, then Zupreem natural, and then the colored ones. I also had to just plain force the issue by giving her less and less seed each day until she ate the darn things. Eating them in front of her did not convince her.

Pete I gave some Zupreem to, and there were some Harrison's mixed into his seed. He would only eat the purple Zupreem ones, but I saw him eat one of the Harrison's. So I bought some of that and did the slow reducing of seeds and adding more pellets over about 3 weeks.