# Sick Budgie (Scaly Mites)



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

Hello everyone!

Around 2 weeks ago I noticed that my budgie's beak has become looking rough and scaly (I assumed it's scaly mites). I quarantined him from my other budgies and I went to a local vet for advice. He was kind enough to give me a bit of ivermectin for free and told me to use one drop on his neck per day and that's what I did for a couple of days till I ran out of the medicine. There was definitely some visual change for the better (his beak and cere looks a lot cleaner) but it is not completely gone by any means.

I have consulted some other vets about it and one of them said that ivermectin in particular is way too potent (toxic) to be used on small birds. And I tend to believe that since after just one drop my budgie did look puffed up and visually sick for most of the treatment duration which got me worried that the cure may be worse than the disease.

So do you guys know any other ways of treating scaly mites that work? Household methods preferably. I read that applying small amount of vinegar on his beak and cere could kill the parasites but I don't know if it's safe to use. 

I would appreciate any information regarding his condition.

This was him 2 weeks ago:










This is him now:

















He's still isolated in a small cage and I feel bad for him  Just want to get him healthy again so he can get back to his friends 

Once again, if you guys know any ways of treating scaly mites other than using ivermectin, please let me know.

Cheers!


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Your bird looks much better, Ivermectin is a standard treatment for scaly face mites a/k/a/ cnemidocoptic mange, perfectly safe when used correctly, however it is usually applied once and then again in 2 weeks, not on a daily basis, this is done because of the life cycle of the mites. Was the vet you saw an avian vet? Here is some info on the problem and treatment https://nilesanimalhospital.com/files/2012/05/Cnemidocoptic-mange.pdf


----------



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

Hey, Cody! Thanks for a quick reply.



Cody said:


> Your bird looks much better


Thank you! I'm glad You that think that.


Cody said:


> Was the vet you saw an avian vet?


All the vets that I've been in and talked to were not specialized in birds unfortunately (There is not a single one that does near the area I live in) so that's why I was always unsure if I'm even treating my budgie the right way. And it's the reason I came to this forum.


Cody said:


> Ivermectin is a standard treatment for scaly face mites a/k/a/ cnemidocoptic mange, perfectly safe when used correctly, however it is usually applied once and then again in 2 weeks, not on a daily basis


This is a wonderful news! It's always less stress for me and the bird if I have to apply the medicine less often while it being just as effective. I will do as You advise and keep going with this route of treatment.

I will also make sure to check the link you provided to learn more about the condition.

Thank you <3


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

However, all birds in the house will have to be treated since he was in contact with them before he was quarantined  

Best wishes for his recovery!


----------



## ChickWas (May 6, 2021)

@Cody can you get different strengths of Ivermectin? Asking in case the vet gave him a very weak dose that is used daily.


----------



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

StarlingWings said:


> However, all birds in the house will have to be treated since he was in contact with them before he was quarantined


I was really hoping I could avoid that and thought that I did since not a single one of my other budgies showed any symptoms of having mites... until today. I noticed one more bird that has been infected. I suppose it makes sense to me now as Cody has mentioned 2 weeks cycle. 

I reacted fairly quick with the quarantine so I'm still hoping that most of my budgies will be fine and won't develop mites as from the document Cody provided it seems that the transmission of the disease is fairly slow.

I'm thinking of diluting one drop of invermectin in 500ml of water and giving it to my healthy (symptomless) budgies just in case. That should take care of any potential infection ( I hope) that has not yet been developed.



StarlingWings said:


> Best wishes for his recovery!


Thanks <3


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

You should treat all your budgies with the medicine regardless. A dilute dose won't be enough to kill the mites on budgies which are not yet showing signs of symptoms but are infected. Having a full does of the medicine will not hurt them if they are not visibly infected with mites.


----------



## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*

*I agree with StarlingWings. ALL of your budgies need to be treated.

Additionally, I recommend you remove the plastic dowel perches in the cage and replace them with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.
Pressure Sores
Bumblefoot
The information in this link will give examples of better options for perches:
Essentials for a Great Cage*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.

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.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
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.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
*Articles*
*Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*
*Avian First Aid*
*Quarantine IS Necessary!*
*A Heartfelt Plea to All Members*
*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*

*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory**


*


----------



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

Hello again everyone!

I've been kinda busy so It's been a while since my last update.



StarlingWings said:


> You should treat all your budgies





FaeryBee said:


> I agree with StarlingWings. ALL of your budgies need to be treated.



Following your advice I went to the vet in order to buy some more ivermectin for my other budgies and while I was briefly explaining the situation, he said that ivermectin won't kill the eggs or larvae of the mites. Is that true?

Wouldn't that mean it won't work until the symptoms are visible? Or am I wrong here? (asking because it's the same vet that said ivermectin was toxic to budgies, so I don't know what to think)



FaeryBee said:


> *I recommend you remove the plastic dowel perches in the cage and replace them with natural wooden perches*


My main cage with the rest of the budgies has all the perches made of wood. The cage you see here is just a temporary quarantine cage that I could find. It's very small and quite empty and it's the main reason I feel bad for him having to be there 

Thank you for a lot of useful information you provided! I will make sure to read these and learn some more about budgies <3

He's almost fully healed, just a few more days and he should be able to get back to his friends I hope!


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Ivermectin is not toxic to budgies when used correctly here is a link to more info about mites and treatment








Knemidocoptiasis in birds


This article reviews the recent literature, common clinical presentations, and current recommendations on diagnosing and treating knemidocoptiasis.



www.dvm360.com


----------



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

Cody said:


> Ivermectin is not toxic to budgies when used correctly here is a link to more info about mites and treatment
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You have already told me that. I have only mentioned that again because I wanted to point that the vet was already wrong once. As you have explained in the first post.

Sorry for not being more clear. I can't really expect everyone to read the whole topic or expect them to remember every one of their previous replies.

I wanted to mostly know if the vet is being wrong again or not about the ivermectin not working on eggs and larvae of the mites.

I have been advised to treat all my budgies in the household even those that show no visible symptoms of mites but if the vet is correct and it doesn't kill the eggs/larvae, would it really help at all?

I trust your opinions more that the vet (because like I stated previously he is not an avian vet and has very little knowledge about the birds it seems) but I'm still quite hesitant to treat all my healthy budgies cause I have quite a lot of them and it will be a nightmare to treat them all individually. But still not as bad as I initially thought. 

I just want to be sure. So I avoid the unnecessary stress.


----------



## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

This is untrue. Ivermectin is always used as a treatment on birds who have been exposed to mites regardless of if they are visible yet or not


----------



## NorthStar27 (8 mo ago)

I have applied the medicine to all my budgies in the household so hopefully no more mites of any kind 

Thank you all for replies 🧡 

Hope you (and all your feathery friends) have a great day!


----------



## Cody (Sep 5, 2013)

Your beautiful boy is looking so much better, hopefully the application to the other birds will take care of any other infestations if there are any.


----------

