# crack in budgie's beak



## birby (Nov 15, 2021)

hello, one of my budgies has a crack in his beak near its cere .. we brought him to a vet 2 days ago for a wellness check and she said the crack looked fine for now, although there was a risk of it getting worse. however, im still a little worried because i dont know what to expect like will it get better on its own ? or will it just get worse from here ? he doesnt look like he's in pain and he's not having difficulties eating so i dont think its affecting him too much though.
lastly, my vet also said to avoid giving him toys that are too hard to chew as the integrity of his beak doesnt look very good, are mineral blocks okay ? has anyone had a similar experience before?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

It looks like he has scaly face mites, did the vet address this when you took him in? That can lead to severe beak damage if left untreated as the mites burrow into the tissue.


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## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

I agree that it looks like the bird has scaly face mites, that whitish material at the bottom of the cere is a possible indication of it.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Was the veterinarian an Avian Vet?
Scaly mites should not have been overlooked. I agree with StarlingWings and Cody -- it appears your budgie is suffering from them.
Your budgie needs to be treated with either ivermectin (spot-on treatment) or Scatt for Birds (spot on treatment).

Did the beak crack when you were administering medication?








giving medicine to budgie


hello, i brought my budgie to the vet 2 days ago and she was prescribed some medicines to be given through a syringe for the next few weeks. so i was just wondering, when giving the meds do i have to give it through a specific side of the beak (i.e. deliver the meds into the right / left side of...




www.talkbudgies.com





Avian Vets have special training to determine the cause of symptoms resulting from illness or trauma.
This is important as "regular" vets will often overlook symptoms that are quickly obvious to an Avian Vet.
When you rely on anyone who has not had training in Avian diagnosis and care, you may be delaying effective treatment.
This can prolong suffering that may be avoidable.
The bird will often require a more intense, prolonged treatment with a poorer chance of full recovery than it would have if you seek prompt professional diagnosis and treatment at the first sign of illness.
If there are no Avian Vets near you, please find an Exotic Pet Veterinarian with experience in dealing with small birds.
*


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## birby (Nov 15, 2021)

StarlingWings said:


> It looks like he has scaly face mites, did the vet address this when you took him in? That can lead to severe beak damage if left untreated as the mites burrow into the tissue.


the vet did suspect mites at first because he was scratching abit when we were at the vets, but after she examined him she didnt seem to find any. she also suggested possible treatments for mites if he really did get mites, but because he is very small (28g), she said that it would be quite risky.



FaeryBee said:


> *Was the veterinarian an Avian Vet?
> Scaly mites should not have been overlooked. I agree with StarlingWings and Cody -- it appears your budgie is suffering from them.
> Your budgie needs to be treated with either ivermectin (spot-on treatment) or Scatt for Birds (spot on treatment).
> 
> ...


yes, she is an avian vet. also no, this is a different budgie 😅😅 but i think he might have cracked his beak when we let him out to fly, if im not wrong he did fly into a few walls.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*OK, different budgie - got it. *

*I don't understand why the spot on treatment for scaly mites couldn't be administered by the vet using an oral syringe for measuring the amount of liquid used, but still placing it on the back of the budgie's neck?

Even at 28 grams the bird needs to be treated before the mites get worse.*


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## birby (Nov 15, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *OK, different budgie - got it.
> 
> I don't understand why the spot on treatment for scaly mites couldn't be administered by the vet using an oral syringe for measuring the amount of liquid used, but still placing it on the back of the budgie's neck?
> 
> Even at 28 grams the bird needs to be treated before the mites get worse.*


yes but when we brought him to the vet she didnt think he had scaly mites, so we were merely discussing the possibilities, she hasnt prescribed any medicines yet. when i bring my other budgie (the one on medication) to the vet next week for her follow up i will be sure to ask the vet if we need to bring this one in again to check for mites. 

also one of the treatments suggested was an injection, so maybe that was the risky one, we didn't go into details about other treatments as we concluded he did not have scaly mites then.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*When you go back to the vet, please ask about ivermection spot-on treatment and Scatt for Birds spot on treatment for the budgie believed to have scaly mites. 
Those medications that work very well to eradicate scaly mites and the spot on method won't have the risk an injection would.
As mentioned above, the dosage could easily be measured out by the vet and then applied to the skin at the back of the neck between the shoulder blades. *


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## birby (Nov 15, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *When you go back to the vet, please ask about ivermection spot-on treatment and Scatt for Birds spot on treatment for the budgie believed to have scaly mites.
> Those medications that work very well to eradicate scaly mites and the spot on method won't have the risk an injection would.
> As mentioned above, the dosage could easily be measured out by the vet and then applied to the skin at the back of the neck between the shoulder blades. *


sure, i will. just asking, will this spot on treatment just be a one-off thing or will it have to be applied daily for a few days ?


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Usually it is only applied one time. 
If it is necessary for a second dose because the mite infestation is particularly severe, the second dose is done 2 weeks later. *


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## birby (Nov 15, 2021)

FaeryBee said:


> *Usually it is only applied one time.
> If it is necessary for a second dose because the mite infestation is particularly severe, the second dose is done 2 weeks later. *


ohh i see okay thank you !


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