Tell me what you see

[Rockford]

Just the facts, no speculation, just what you can actually see.
This is not my bird.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I see an OWA with a SEVERLY overgrown beak.

Do I win a price? :54:

 

[Kiwibird]

I see a older, ratty looking OWA who needs a beak trim, a bath and a better diet.

 

[Rockford]

Severely overgrown beak, that's what I thought too, but apparently we're all wrong because the response I got from the owner was "Well, you don't know what the "bleep" you're talking about."

 

[labell]

I have never had to trim a beak and I will always tell someone that imho there are 3 reasons why this might happen, one not enough toys for the bird to maintain proper length and shape of their beak, two liver/diet issues and third and most serous PBFD! That owner doesn't deserve that bird if they can't clearly see that something is wrong. You can tell at one glance that it is filthy, no shine to the feathers and the beak is very over-grown. I would bet that the diet is awful!

 

[Dinosrawr]

Severely overgrown beak, that's what I thought too, but apparently we're all wrong because the response I got from the owner was "Well, you don't know what the "bleep" you're talking about."

That makes me so sad I detest how animals and children are such victims of circumstance I find people that know they're not taking good care of something also tend to be overly sensitive to what they're doing wrong, too - any person in their right mind could tell you how poorly that amazon looks. A child would probably ask why that bird looks so different from what you normally see.

 

[henpecked]

Is there an AV in your area? Could you shame them into taking him in? I doubt he'll live a "full life" judging from the photo. Classic VitA deficiency from a seed diet IMO.

That looks like a closed band. Is it an AFA band? (looks like an AFA band) You on the East Coast US? They always had that OWA? Hope that's not one of my babies!

 

[Taw5106]

Definitely an over grown beak and bad diet. When I got Buddy in March, his beak was over grown. I found an edible perch in his cage. His favorite item to tear up and it helped get his beak trimmed down without taking him to a vet so early in our relationship. If this person won't take him to the vet, that could be an option. And if I knew this person, I feel sorry for them, I have no problem pointing out the wrongs, politely of course but over time, well... Let's just say I've told my brother he doesn't need pets, none ever live a full life cycle with him. My niece, well she has a new victim and yes that's what I've called her pets. They never stay around long and I tell her too she doesn't need pets, they are not short term entertainment.

Here's a pic of Buddy's first day with us:

And here he is a couple of weeks ago. The perch has been great:

Best of luck with this situation, I hope everything works out.

Edit: One more thing, on Buddy is his upper beak too long? I've been curious about that. I think he is ready to visit a vet for a check up to get a relationship started between the two.

 

[Kiwibird]

Severely overgrown beak, that's what I thought too, but apparently we're all wrong because the response I got from the owner was "Well, you don't know what the "bleep" you're talking about."

While the overgrown beak is probably causing the poor bird issues with eating and mobility, the underlying cause of the overgrown beak is what's most concerning (the beak can be trimmed, the underlying health issues causing the overgrowth may be causing irreversible damage). The ratty feathers are also a good clue of long-term poor diet and lack of regular bathing. My guess is that bird is over 20 y/o, and as henpecked suggested, has probably been on an all-seed diet and is severely deficient in vitamin A, among other things. Internally, that bird is probably also suffering from a fatty liver as well, and looks underweight (kind of hard to tell from photos, but I'm betting if weighed, he/she falls below a healthy weight range). The whole appearance of this bird is classic for an older amazon who's been unhealthy for some time. Anyone who's been around them or even done some research on them can see that. I don't know your experience with birds, but it sounds as though you spotted it easily (even if you didn't know why) when the owner is living in denial. Of course, only a AV can tell the extent of this birds issues for sure, but it sounds as though convincing the owner to take him/her to see an av for a wellness exam is going to be a challenge. I would at least make a good effort to try to convince them this bird needs to see a vet or to surrender/rehome the bird to someone who can provide better care.

If you look at Buddy (Taw5106's bird) you can see a marked improvement in his appearance (for the better) after just the short time he's been in his new home Notice the vibrancy of his feathers now (especially on his chest, belly and wing) and the improvement in his beak. There is definitely a good likelihood this bird can also become healthier and the sooner a vet-supervised regimen to return this bird to health starts, the better!

@Taw- Buddy's beak looks pretty good and functional. Probably is time to get him in to see a vet. I know you've been taking really good care of him, but he may still have some issues that need addressing from his past.

 

[Taw5106]

Agreed and thanks for the feed back. Since he's taking so well to his travel cage and is showing that he likes going out, I will get a visit scheduled. He needs a nail trim and I want a full work up of labs on him, even DNA test him to confirm Buddy is a He. I'm seeing his previous owners son tonight but have given up on gleaning anymore info on Buddy. So at this point, get him to the vet to establish a baseline on him.

Rockford, have you thought about sharing the comments on this thread with the owner? Not to shame but to show options, or even summarize positive options, easy, minor ones that have a big, positive impact, then share them? If swung positively, it could go really well.

 

[Birdman666]

The face doesn't look all that old to me. Ratty feathers, just needs a bath. Probably pulled a few himself cuz the feather quality is that icky...

THE CONDITION OF THE BEAK IS A CRIME in my opinion.

I'd bet he's vitamin A deficient as well... (that's an easy call.) Needs a vet check, a bath, and grooming... better diet, probably a better cage, I'm guessing more toys.