Adopted parakeet: odd beak licking & crustiness. Is he sick?

Preening is just the act of a bird grooming themselves -- you may be thinking of molting where the feathers are lost and then replaced with new ones. In both cases, the beak is usually not affected. If the beak itself is cracking or crusting, there could be an issue such as a parasite or infection of the beak or surrounding it, or even a nutritional issue that is causing the beak to crack. Keeping an eye on it and making sure you are feeding a balanced diet can help. If the crusting continues, worsens, or becomes bothersome, or Blueberry shows other signs of illness, having a vet take a look in person is best. As for taming, time and patience are key. You've only gotten him recently, so spending more time just being together, offering treats, etc can help encourage him to trust you more. If he gets too nervous at sitting on you, spending time at the steps he is comfortable at before trying again can help.

Hello, You're correct in that Rocky's beak is very abnormal appearing. I worry the crusting on the ceres (the part above the beak) could be due to mites, a nutritional deficiency, or a respiratory infection. The beak's lopsided appearance could be due to liver or nutritional disease. I recommend taking Rocky to his veterinarian. They can best guide you after a physical exam. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for your question, and thank you for the photo! When we see crusting around the nostrils and on the cere, it can be due to excess keratin/hyperkeratosis, or it may be actual material on the skin itself. If it is excess keratin, often suboptimal nutrition is the culprit. The most common nutrient that is involved in this is a deficiency in vitamin A. If it is material on the skin itself, this is often related to an infectious process, sort of like a runny nose with a cold. Due to this, I would recommend having Kiwi evaluated by a veterinarian. They can perform a physical examination and see if there are any other signs of vitamin deficiencies, and to see if there are any signs consistent with infection. Depending on the findings, they will recommend diagnostic testing and/or treatments that you can elect to pursue. Diets that are mainly seeds are often the culprit for a lack of vitamin A, and by adding pellets or vegetables into the diet this can be addressed. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and I hope that Kiwi feels better soon!

Angel is beautiful, thankfully his cere looks a nice healthy colour. It is not uncommon for the beak to flake a little depending what part of the keratin cycle he is in . As for the crusts, these are most commonly due to a little mite that borrows under the skin. Known as scaly beak, it is caused by knemedicoptes mites. To treat it you need an ivermectin based drop, many vets stock a product called xeno which you apply to the skin. I would weigh him to ensure appropriate dosing. If you are concerned he seems dull or symptoms are worsening you should take him to an avian vet.

Unfortunately from your photos I can't tell very clearly what is going on with the beak. If the beaks are overgrowing or impeding the chicks' ability to eat or drink, then I would have a vet take a look and trim the beaks down so that they can grow back into a more normal shape. If there is a growth, swelling, or discharge, it could indicate an issue such as an infection or underlying problem which should be treated by a vet. If the babies are otherwise healthy, eating, growing and there is no discharge, etc, then just keeping an eye on the beaks may be fine, but if they continue to grow oddly or become problemsome to your birds, having a vet look is always best.

Poor little guy! He very possibly has scaly mites. Ideally he should be seen by an avian veterinarian, but there is an over-the-counter product called Avimec that is a drop-on remedy for scaly mites. These mites only live on the body, so you don't have to treat the cage as well, but it would be a good idea to take it apart anyway and give it a good deep cleaning just to be safe. Plenty of soap and hot water and thorough rinsing will work. Good luck with him.

Hello, Parakeets do commonly contract the external parasite Knemidocoptes. I would recommend taking Pineapple into your veterinarian to be seen. They can examine her, weigh her, and determine the best anti-parasitic medication for her case. It generally requires a few doses of the medication over a period of weeks to kill every life stage of the mite. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.