My parakeet's beak has an odd texture. What should I do about it?

This may have been due to infection, trauma or poor nutrition. You would need to have the bird examined by an experienced avian veterinarian for a diagnosis. Treatment will depend on that diagnosis. Antibiotics may be needed in addition to a proper diet. In the meantime, keep the bird warm and as stress free as possible. if it is caged with others, house it singly. Offer a quality commercial pelleted diet. you may need to soak or moisten in to make eating easier. Offer small amounts of diced fresh fruits and vegetables as well as foods such as boiled egg, beans and plain pastas. A mineral block and cuttlebone should also be made available.

This is suspicious of mites causing the cere and cheeks to look like this. There is effective treatment for this condition, but it will have to be prescribed by a veterinarian. It's also good to have a vet check Kiwi, so they can definitively diagnose his condition and make sure that nothing else is responsible for this. I hope that helps and Kiwi gets better soon.

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.

Some crusting can happen when a bird is ready to mate, but that looks a bit more than that -- It is possible your bird has a respiratory issue going on, a fungal infection taking hold in the nostrils, or another type of infection/illness. It would be best to bring him to a vet to have the area flushed out and treatment started for any underlying infection. Separating him to a hospital cage that is kept warm and with easy access to food and water may also help to prevent the spread of any illness and to keep Ocean comfortable if your other parakeet is picking on him until you can be seen by your vet. You can also use a warm washcloth to try and remove any debris to make him more comfortable.

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.

This could be due to an infection, to Polyfolliculitis which can cause itch, or nutritional imbalances. Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease due to a viral infection, Feathers mites, lice or ringworm must be ruled out first. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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.