Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My chick has poop stuck on its butt. How do I safely clean it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | unspayed

i just got a chick and there seems to be a hard crust of poop on her butt. it is pretty stuck on and i don't want to hurt her. but, i'm afraid its interfering with her movements. what should i do?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 23rd, 2018

This is called "pasty butt". You need to soak the chick's butt in luke warm running water until the poop is soft and then remove it. Work fast to keep the chick from getting cold and do this in a warm room. Do not pull the feces off, but gently "coax" them off, so you will not teat the chick's skin. Towel dry the chick, then use a hair dryer on low setting to completely dry the downy feathers. if it happen again you can put vaseline on the down around the vent so the feces do not stick to it. Causes of pasty butt are stress, being cold, overheating, sometimes viral or bacterial infections and improper diet which cause diarrhea.
Prevention:
Maintain proper brooder temperature
Add Probiotics to the chicks' drinking water
Do not offer treats, feed starter feed
If pasty butt is recurrent, offer some scrambled eggs mixed into the starter feed and if that clears things up change brands of feed.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Help! My chick has red beak bumps, isn't eating, and has diarrhea.

Thanks for reaching out about your chick and including photos. The lesions appear like vesicles and a bacterial or viral etiology would be high on the list. A veterinary visit should be scheduled to help with an assessment and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. This chick should b e separated from others because viral disease are possibly contagious to other birds. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some aid. Cleaning/dabbing the lesions with a dilute povidine/betadyne solution might help but does not replace a veterinary visit. Wash hands well after handling to prevent cross contamination. Good luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My new budgie has diarrhea and a dirty vent. How can I help him?

Thanks for reaching out about Chirp. You'll have to restrain with a soft towel and rinse under warm water in the sink. But this is possibly a bacterial infection, viral disease, metabolic disorder and others, and a veterinary visit is needed to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Providing heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some comfort. Good luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My baby chick is losing feathers and has runny poop. What's wrong?

It's possible the chick is getting picked on or has parasites that are causing the feather loss and runny stool. A medicated feed, deworming, and treating for any external parasites is a good idea. If the other chicks are pecking at it, removing it to a hospital cage for a few days and then reintroducing it to the flock is best to allow for time to recover and heal. I would also make sure there is a heat lamp provided until the feathers have come in.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 5-day-old chicks have long, stringy poop. What could be wrong?

Separate them out from the rest of the chicks and keep them warm and as stress free as possible. Submit a sample of the droppings to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites. The "stringiness" could be mucous which may be indicative of coccidiosis. Your vet can confirm this or other infection. Treatment will depend on the diagnosis.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My budgie has poop stuck to her bottom. Should I be worried?

While this is unusual it does not necessarily mean anything is wrong. I would recommend cleaning off the vent with a warm wet cloth and seeing if it accumulates again. I would also recommend examining the stool/droppings at the bottom of the cage and make sure they look normal. If Millet is otherwise acting normal, eating well, and the stools look normal then I wouldn’t be too concerned. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My new budgie has a bald vent and poop sticking. Is this normal?

A picture of your bird’s vent would be helpful so we can try to determine if the featherless skin is normal or not. However, based on what you are describing, I would assume that the feathers have fallen out because of the matting/stickiness from the feces around the vent. If your bird is otherwise eating and drinking normally then I would not be too concerned. Just be on the lookout for any other feather loss and/or any behavior changes. I hope this helps. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why is my parakeet's butt swollen and red after poop removal?

Thanks for reaching out. Continue to keep clean with a warm compress. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostics and treatment plan. If a female, egg binding should be considered. Clumped stool in either sex could be due to liver, renal, intestinal and or infectious diseases. A veterinary visit is recommend to assist in a diagnostic/treatment plan. Providing supplemental heat in the 80-85 F range will give some comfort but is not a treatment. Good luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share