# Small lump above cere



## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Hi all, I'm new here, unfortunately I don't play with my budgie nearly as much as I probably should, so I only just I noticed this morning that she (we've assumed she is female but could be incorrect :blush was scratching herself a lot.

She was trying to itch herself on perches and toys a lot yesterday and I didn't think much of it, so I looked closer today and she has a small lump above her cere and possibly an infected eye (unless that's just from scratching in that area).

I believe she is also in molting stage but her other side of the head looks fine, she is a bit puffed up though, but from what I've read they will do that when not feeling well.

I've tried contacting the local vets but none have availability today so the earliest she could be seen is tomorrow if I need to go.

She is eating and drinking fine, is there anything I could do to help her in the mean time?
























She's normally very happy like below


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## Goldenwing (Oct 4, 2017)

Poor little bird! I am not an expert on gender but wonder if the bird is male because of how dark blue the cere is.

I would provide a bath for her if she likes baths. Sometimes when birds are molting and/or itchy, they like to bathe. She doesn't need to bathe, so if that is not her thing, don't worry about it. Also, keep her a comfortable temperature. I would say keep her warm, but today it is quite hot where I am and would be uncomfortable for my bird without the AC on.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for your little one!


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi Edward and :welcome: to the forums!

She is a beautiful little girl for sure  She's going though a very rough moult right now, as mentioned above. Offer her a bath, you can even make it with some chamomile tea (unsweetened and room temperature) as that can help with inflammation.

Additionally, supplementing her diet with egg food at this time will help new feathers grow in strong and healthy :thumbsup:

Here a link you may find helpful:
https://www.talkbudgies.com/articles-budgie-health/104927-miserable-molting.html

Best wishes to your little girl for a speedy recovery! Be sure to read through the other forum's articles and stickies as well. If you have any questions after reading through everything, please be sure to ask as we'd love to help!

Hope to see you around, keep us posted on how your girl's doing! :wave:


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Thanks for the welcome and advice  I give her this during moult to help assist Feather-Up - Feather Conditioning Supplement she's never really taken to a bath although will preen if misted with water.

As for the gender, I am really not sure, sometimes the cere is mostly brown, seems to vary a lot! For example this photo when she was around 2









I've booked an appointment with the vets for Thursday anyway to see the bird specialist, I guess it's wise to go ahead with that to make sure everything is fine.

I do have some quinoa for human consumption, is this ok to add to the food? I've also removed some of her toys to stop her scratching on stuff too much!


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

She is going through a heavy molt and is sure to be itchy and may be feeling a bit off because of the molt. In the first two pictures it looks like her nares might be slightly clogged, is that the case when you look at her, if so the vet may want to clean them out a bit. Cooked quinoa would be fine for her, my birds love it.


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Cody said:


> She is going through a heavy molt and is sure to be itchy and may be feeling a bit off because of the molt. In the first two pictures it looks like her nares might be slightly clogged, is that the case when you look at her, if so the vet may want to clean them out a bit. Cooked quinoa would be fine for her, my birds love it.


They do slightly clogged yes, she seems to be breathing normally though, I'll keep an eye on her and look at cooking up some quinoa but until Thursday I guess there's not much else I can do, I'll try a bath but don't think it will happen


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

She is definitely female  Females' ceres change from brown to blue/white when they are in and out of breeding condition, respectively.


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Well I cooked up some quinoa for her and she didn't seem best pleased at first but looks like whilst I've been at work she's eaten most of it, her beak seems to give it away, seems to have a bit of sticky stuff on it which I assume is from head diving into the quinoa  she will be going to the vet tomorrow morning anyway to make sure all is fine.


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

So today we went to the vets and he drained the lump and cleared the nostrils out and has given me some medication for the next 5 days before another appointment, he's recommended to get some harrisons superfine food too to prevent selective eating, he wasn't 100% sure but thinks she could be a he, but until she is 100% better then he can't be certain.

Thanks for the advice from everyone and hopefully we get a full recovery


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm glad that the vet was able to see to the lump for her! It must have been a small feather cyst or something similar. 

My best wishes for a full recovery for her!


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## Jesska (Apr 24, 2018)

Aw, poor thing! Good job for looking after her. I bet she's feeling much better! <3


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi! :welcome: to Talk Budgies

I'm glad to hear you've taken your budgie to the vet for the proper diagnosis and treatment. :thumbsup:

I'll be looking forward to reading your progress reports with regard to her condition.

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Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.

These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.

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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Good news! I got back from work and the lump seemed to have grown a bit so expected to have to drain it, but 30 minutes later it's fallen off naturally, looks pretty clean where it was but I have some F10 wound spray from the vets that I will apply to make sure it's good and clean every day until the next appointment on Wednesday.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Good news, indeed! Please be sure to keep us updated on your little girl.

Best wishes*


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## peppertweety (May 5, 2018)

Hope she feels better soon!
Have you thought about getting another budgie for her to play with? I'm sure she'd be very happy 🙂


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Some budgies do perfectly fine on their own, and see their people as their "flock"  If your girl is curious, active, and interested in/has a bond with you, she is most likely quite happy by herself! 

On the other hand, if she doesn't have a good bond with you and seems withdrawn and inactive, then she may benefit from a same-species friend.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*I fully believe that having a solo budgie is often in both the owner and the budgie's best interest.

There are many considerations to be taken into account before bringing a new budgie into one's heart and home.

As a new member, Edward is doing what is best for his little friend. Ensuring his little girl is healthy and happy is paramount and should be the focus of this thread as that was the intended topic. 

Best wishes!*


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

Hey, I did think about getting a friend but concerned about 4 being a bit too old to introduce a new member!

As for the health, been to the vets again today for a check up and he said he is happy with the progress and no need to go back 

I will attach a picture and you'll hopefully see a big difference


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)




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## JRS (Sep 3, 2016)

Great news from the vet! :thumbsup:
She’s looking fantastic, what’s her name?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

She looks great :thumbsup: What a beautiful girl!


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## EdwardJ (May 28, 2018)

JRS said:


> Great news from the vet! :thumbsup:
> She's looking fantastic, what's her name?


Sorry for the late response, Polly or Olly if she turns out to be male 

Either way still looking great and recovered well and the moult seems to be over


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