# discolored spot above cere



## RobinTheBudgie (Jul 30, 2014)

I'm planning on taking my budgie back to the vet tomorrow, but before tomorrow comes I have a question - 

My bird was on antibiotics because he was fluffed up and sick looking. That was a few weeks ago, and he's acting much happier and playful (and LOUD!) now. However, sometimes when he gets startled or it's late he starts making a squeaky sound that I know is associated with a sinus infection. However, he also has a brownish spot above his right nostril, and maybe a little brown at the corner of his cere on the same side. Is that also a sign of a respiratory/sinus infection, or is it scaly face mites? 

I'd take a picture but it's late so I don't want to wake him up!


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## Budget baby (Jan 1, 2013)

Without a picture it is very hard to surmise but I completely understand why you haven't posted one.
As your budgie has been on antibiotics it is a little worrying, is he making a noise when breathing, is his breathing more rapid or laboured, what about his flying does he seem to fly less and pant or seem tired.
Has he been sneezing a lot and lethargic? 
Some times budgies that are a bit run down or lacking a vitamin or mineral will have a brown discoloured area above the cere.
try him on some probiotics especially as he has been on antibiotics. Please let us know what the vet says regarding his condition.


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## RobinTheBudgie (Jul 30, 2014)

Hello - I finally got a picture now that it's morning.

He's been on vibramycin, and that took care of the fluffing, sleeping and general sick look.

Currently, he's chirping away, playing (he has gotten more interested than usual in tearing apart his grapevine balls, if that means anything), and generally being normal budgie.

He only makes the noise at night, generally when he's startled, like when I go to cover his cage. I will try covering his cage earlier, he might need to go to sleep earlier. The sound is like a cross between this one, which I found on a web page about avian sinus infections (http://www.birds-online.de/verhalten/sounds/klangvolles-atmen1.wav) and his normal chattering-to-himself sounds.

Not sure what's with that. He doesn't have a crusty cere and isn't losing feathers around his eyes as per other sinus infections. And he sits up normally, doesn't sit in a weird position that looks like he's helping his breathing, and his poop looks normal.

The vitamin A would make sense - back when we took him to the vet the first time for the general sick look, they suggested a deficiency, but we haven't yet figured out what vitamin he's missing, I guess. I've gotten him a mineral block for iodine, he already had a cuttlebone, and I've started putting sunshine factor in his food for vitamin A. I could certainly add vitamin drops to his water as well. And I do have probiotics left over, so I could give him those as well.


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## RobinTheBudgie (Jul 30, 2014)

(Forgot to mention: all my attempts to get him to eat vegetables have failed. I'm going to re-start my efforts, but just wanted to let you know why I've been using supplements and not veggies)


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

Does your bird eat vegetables at all? I would much rather he obtained his Vitamin A through the Beta Carotene available in the vegetables rather than a supplement. Orange coloured vegetables are the higher in Vitamin A. Vegetables like pumpkin and carrot but there is a whole list of veges that contain Beta Carotene. 

Why I say this is I have just been sent the final draft of an article that an Avian Vet friend has written that is going to be published in the Australian Veterinary Journal on a study she has done on Vitamin A toxicosis, which is just as dangerous if not more than a deficiency. Once I have had a much closer read of the article I will be making a post on it on the forum later. 

Sometimes we think it is easier to give a supplement rather than persevere with trying to get them to eat fruit and vegetables in their diet. Anyone feeding pellets to their birds I would never recommend that they give a vitamin and mineral supplement to their birds at all, especially water based supplements in the warmer weather when they drink more. The pellets already contain added vitamins and minerals so it would be very easy to overdose if giving supplements.


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## Kate C (Oct 15, 2007)

You answered my question while I was posting. I would persevere with trying to get him to eat the vegetables.


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## RobinTheBudgie (Jul 30, 2014)

I've put a carrot stick in his cage right now... he's giving it the side-eye but at least he's not on the other side of the cage hiding. It's in the same place where I normally put his treats, so he can get the idea that it's food and not the enemy. 

Oh, wait... he just bit it and decided he didn't want it. 

*Sigh* oh well, maybe later.


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## Teddscau (Jun 27, 2012)

At least he tried the carrot. You can also try sprouting seeds for him and seeing if he'll eat them. They're a good source of vitamins and minerals, and they're low in fat. You can also try getting him to eat dandelion leaves. My budgies big fans of dandelion leaves. They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin A. Just make sure you collect the leaves away from pollution, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.


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