hi all. I am a new breeder. I just bought samantha and petey not long ago, and peteys feet have gone all crusty. his beak isnt looking to good either. can someone help petey???

An avian vet is your best bet. It sounds like it could be some kind of infection or virus...

 

Do you have a variety of perches for them? Only one type or size perch can cause foot problems.

An avian vet is your best bet. It sounds like it could be some kind of infection or virus...

 

Do you have a variety of perches for them? Only one type or size perch can cause foot problems.

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yes the have a variety. how would i find one of these vets in my area? is there a section for avian vets in the phone book. and are they expensive like regular vets?

It sounds like scaly face which need treatment cuase it does and will spread to the others birds. Look up your phone book and call the vets in it asking for an avian vet, if that doesn't work try a normal one, they do study all types of animals they just don't deal with birds alot of the time.

You can use Google, ask around on various boards, see if your local vet can direct you to one... they're sometimes hard to find depending on where you are, but there should be one with an hour's drive or so.

 

They're expensive, yes, but birds are expensive pets in general. To borrow a phrase from a friend, 'if you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet.'

thanks! :angel1:

um yeah thanks for that bit of wisdom.

try sensis instead of google

Yes it does sound like scaly face which is common in budgies it affects the feet and cere. You can get a scaly face treatment from most places that sell birds and bird products. I use a cotton tip and dab it on the affected area's and it usually clears up in a day or so (if caught early) You may have to reapply for a few days if its a heavy case of scaly face.

I am an advocate for having good a vet, but there are many common ailments that can be treated yourself at home, go to your local library and get some books on budgie breeding they usally have sections on health and sickness and what to do if you observe certain symptoms. Try the scaly face ointment and if it does'nt seem to clear up, then go to the vet you may save money on consultation fee's.

nerwen & mr c are right. I have just finished treating 2 of my birds for scaly face & feet. You can pick up a bottle of treatment for around $10 from a pet store or produce centre.

Treat with a cotton tip twice daily, make sure you apply it thick & don't worry if the birds "drink" some of it, it won't hurt them. I had to wrestle with one of the birds every single time as he always managed to grab the cotton bud in his beak - the other grabbed it with her foot.

Remove the birds and scrub the cage thoroughly with a mix of bicarb & vinegar which disolves dirt & doesn't cause any health problems for the birds if you don't do a perfect job of washing it off.

Next it can't hurt to rub some of the solution into the perches to kill the mites there/prevent them returning.