Hi

 

I recently noticed that my budgie's upper mandible is overgrown.

 

Has anyone had any experience with this problem? I've read some terrible things online about trimming beaks such as bleeding, beaks cracking, clipping tongues and birds dying of a heart attack during the process.

I'm afraid that if I don't clip it he won't be able to eat properly. It's quite frustrating because I have lots of chew toys for him but he just doesn't like chewing things like parrots normally enjoy doing. And because his beak is not only a little overgrown I'd need to take a few mm off and I read that there are lots of blood vessels and I can only take a little off at a time. It costs $25 at the vet and I really can't afford to make a few trips, so what are your suggestions? How could I possibly do it myself?

 

Thanks

That's the thing when taking on a bird or any pet infact, they will always need trips to the vets.

 

Is the $25 for a normal vet or avian vet. I don't know much about beak trimming but I don't think doing it yourself is a good idea. Any chance of some pics? are you sure it's overgrown?

Edited October 25, 201113 yr by Taylor

Why not take it to the Avian Vet and get them to show you how to do it?

Beak trimming isn't something you should do, unless you are an expert. If you get it wrong, your bird could bleed to death. You might also damage his tongue, or do something that means he can't eat.

 

Also, it is very rare that a budgie would need a beak trim anyway. Not saying yours doesn't have a problem. But are you sure?

 

You'd really need to see an avian vet to assess and do it.

I'm taking my budgie to the vet tomorrow so hopefully he'll sort its beak out. I've had my budgie for 2 and a half years and he never chews anything so I'm not surprised his beak has gotten long. My other budgie who loves chewing on everything has a perfect beak. I'm not sure how I could get this one to chew things. I've got so many nice eucalyptus branches and chew perches for them but he is never interested. He doesn't act like a parrot at all

One of mine did the same thing. Here is a technique one of my friends used and it worked. Place his fav treat somewhere in his cage.. Then after a week or so place a chew toy next to it. Then after another week or more remove the treat and hopefully he will go up thinking there's a treat but there's the chew toy.

 

This may not work, just a suggestion.

 

Are you sure it's overgrown? My friend hsd had 100's of budgies and no overgrown, but good luck at the vets, especially if it's just a 'normal vet' not an avian vet.

 

Tell us what happens luv

 

Also, don't worry if your boy is different, just like us they all have likes and dislikes. I hate capsicum, he hates chew toys. The only difference is animal species really!

I took him to the avian vet today and he was able to take quite a bit off the beak without any bleeding, it looks much better now

 

When I took him to the vet though I noticed there was some blood in Kankan's droppings which is really unusual because it's never happened before! His droppings are usually completely normal.

There was one time when there was blood on the cage floor but I thought that might have been because the oyster shell we were giving him could have not been digested properly and cut him when he was trying to pass his droppings, I haven't given them oyster shell or grit since. The vet analysed his droppings and said there was likely some kind of bacterial infection but he's not sure what it might be exactly, he mentioned something about passing empty red blood cells and said he's never seen anything similar in birds. The droppings he passed in the vet clinic had no more blood in them. Kankan is on some medication now for infection and inflammation. He generally seems like a healthy bird though, just maybe a bit quiet. The vet said the results of his dropping analysis weren't consistent with the bird looking so healthy. Any ideas what the bleeding could be related to?