Another "is it scaly face?" thread.

[hamsterkeet]

Hi! Please help me figure out whether I need to take my budgies to the vet or if I'm just being paranoid! Sorry about the photos being a little blurry.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/jeanibeen/budgies/andy2.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/jeanibeen/budgies/zoid.jpg

Andy and Zoid are adult, but less than 1 year old. I have had them for 4 months. Behavior and appetite are normal. Andy (the dilute) has a bit of discoloration where the cere and beak meet, which one might describe as an encrustation. He also has some white residue of some kind around the edges of the beak. I'm also worried because he's been picking at his left foot and ankle a lot, and favoring his right foot. Couldn't get a photo, though. Zoid (the cobalt) has a bit of a white on the cere as well.

Help! I'm going on vacation in < 3 weeks and need them to be tip-top before we drop them off at the boarding place. Thanks a lot!

[EverLove]

I'm not sure if they do or not... but if you are concerned take them to the vet! Nothing's wrong with a check-up!

[bugster23]

are the feet crusty like aswell?

i agree if you are iin doubt take them to the vet..

the pictures are not really that clear.. but they just might have mites.... if they do its in the early stages so the sooner you get them checked out and treated the faster it will go away...

i think if they do have mites and you start them on Ivermectin from the within the next few days they should be in good health again before you travel..

[NikkiLeanne]

i have 2 budgies with scaly face at the moment, hold your budgies and have a close look at the cere and under the feathers around the beak, sometimes you cant see it hiding under there, if it is white with tiny pinpoint holes in it then it is scaly face, if you have an avian vet you can take them too then i recommend you do so. I myself am nowhere near one and am making do with a store bought treatment that you can pick up at most pet stores, and petroleum jelly, but if you do use anything be careful not to get it in the nostrils, and your budgie may get upset with you and attempt to chew and bite so be careful they dont get any solution in their mouth. Im not sure if it will help but ill tell you how i do it.

my budgies are not yet tame, so i get a teatowel(kitchen towel) and fold it in half and slowly come around behind them and drop the towel over them, they yell and curse at you but generally will stay still, and i then gently pick them up and turn them over, this way they chew the towel and not your fingers!!!a q-tip is best to apply any solution but keep a sharp eye on that chomper! they can be very quick!

I dab the solution on the affected area around the beak and cere and on the legs, and use vaseline on the cere and beak, thats just my personal choice as i dont like the idea of putting that solution in that area.

the store solutions are usually a 3 day treatment, and then you do a re-application a week or 2 later.

If all that sounds too much then take them into a vet if you can!

Hope that helps

Nikki

[hamsterkeet]

Hi everyone! I took Andy and Zoid to the vet today. Our vet was very kind and professional, and the budgies were so brave! Andy didn't even seem to mind being held in her hand. Zoid protested a bit, though!

The vet examined them visually with a loupe. Andy indeed has scaly face mites on his beak and feet; Zoid has a very early stage. She administered medication via injection to both budgies, then recommended that Andy get another shot in 1 week. Zoid probably won't need another shot.

The budgies are back home now, looking calm and not too shaken up from their experience.

I was able to get a better closeup with decent lighting, for those of you wondering what early stages of scaly face looks like:

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/jeanibeen/budgies/andyhead.jpg
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/jeanibeen/budgies/zoidhead.jpg