Urgent Foods to feed with a broken beak

[Sniperzombies]

My green cheek lost a larger portion of his upper beak tip to a large bird attack a week ago. He hardly bled and has not been acting any different except he can't eat seeds or pellets. He's always been a really picky eater, he hates fruit and veggies. After the incident I bought some baby food to tide him over but now thats all he will eat, and only 1 flavor, sweet potato. (I almost bought the entire drugstore out now) I'm glad he has an appetite but I'm worried he's not getting enough solid food. I know he's probably in pain, but his poop is now bright orange and watery. He demands to be fed now with screams that would wake the dead. I've tried puree fruit and veggies but he looks at it and runs up his perch and screams until he sees the baby food bottle. I think I've created a monster. I was going to buy some monkey pellets but I really don't think he will eat it.

Does anyone know what else I can try or do you think he will be okay until his beak isn't so sore? The vet near me does not specialize in birds and was no help at all so any other advice would be great. I've been washing it with a q-tip and sailine solution every night. I'm worried if it doesn't grow back he'll die of malnutrition since I'm not sure how nutritious baby food is. I'm going to attach a picture, I asked if he'd need a replacement beak but she didn't think so. I'd like to defer to some other people to see if I should get a second opinion or if I'm just over-reacting. If anything she seemed annoyed I was so concerned. This is the best photo I can get. If you get anywhere near his face with a phone or camera he lets out a death scream and tries to rip it from your hands.

 

[Macawnutz]

Oh my, you diffinatly need a better vet and soon. Where are you located so we can help you find one?

He should also be on antiboitics and pain killers.

 

[Sniperzombies]

Theres a vet down the street but they didn't have emergency services so I had to go elsewhere. They can't see me until next week so I don't know what to do. I live in Pittsburgh, but I don't have a car anymore.

 

[apollosparents]

You need to definitely do a few things:
1. Get some hand feeding formula. It has a fairly balanced composition that our feathered kids need. It is probably a little higher in fat but that may be good because fat is a pretty potent energy source and I am sure your kid needs so additional calories. Mix this up to a temp and consistency they tolerate (probably the same temp and consistency of the sweet potato your feeding now.) You can get some syringe type feeders online, at a drug store, etc. and dribble it in (DO NOT force feed or truly hand feed.) or see if they will just eat it like it is.
2. Take everything he likes and use a blender/processor and some water and make a mash and feed the same way.
3. Tried eggs? They are very good for them. I would scramble one or over "medium" one and mash it up tiny. You could even grind up some of the shell. It is good for them. Just cook the shell with the eggs so you do not have to worry about bacteria.
4. Try very cooked pasta with a little sauce and mince it up.
5. Mash/liquify some pellitized diet to the same consistency as above. I would suggest Harrisons and especially Harrisons treat with palm oil. Roudy bush may work. Since he doesn't like fruit or veggies, stay away from Zupreem.
6. Mashed potatoes are usually luved by the birdies. Anything to keep the calories and energy up to give that beak time to heal.
7. Find an avian vet. Even if your too far away or the bird is too stressed to transport, most will be glad to assist you on the phone and work with vet you do have for any antibiotics and pain meds they need to help heal.

PLEASE keep us up to date when you can on your little guy.

 

[apollosparents]

Avian Vets in or near the Pittsburgh area
ANIMAL GENERAL
MIKE HUTCHINSON, VMD
RT 19 LA SALLE PLAZA
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP PA
(724) 776-7930
(6-8 WK WAITING LIST)
SEWICKLY VETERINARY HOSPITAL
MARGARET A. DISMUKES, V.M.D.
1104 OHIO RIVER BLVD.
SEWICKLY, PA 15143
412-741-5550
NORTHVIEW ANIMALS HOSPITAL
JAMES K. BEEBE, DVM
DR. PLEBAN
DR. BETSY KENNON, VMD
223 SIEBERT ROAD
PITTSBURGH, PA 15237
(412) 364-5353
JAMES L. REED
BAKERSTOWN, PA 15007
412-443-8200
VCA FOX CHAPEL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
ROBERT WAGNER, VMD
1152 FREEPORT ROAD
FOX CHAPEL, PA 15223
(412) 781-6446
ALL PET ANIMAL HOSPITAL
DR. EDWARD R. BENNETT
5354 RT. 8 SUITE 203
GIBSONIA, PA. 15044-8402
(724) 444-6600
WEST LIBERTY ANIMAL HOSPITAL
DAVID DORN VMD
3055 W. LIBERTY AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15216
(412) 341-3383
ALL PET ANIMAL HOSPITAL
DR. EDWARD BENNETT
616 S. PIKE ROAD
Sarvar, PA 16055
724-295-9933
WED. & FRI 2-7 pm SAT. 9-1 pm
GOOD SHEPERD VETERINARY
ANIMAL HOSPITAL
HISHAM IBRAHIM, DVM
101 FOXTROT DRIVE
MARS, PA
724-776-7387
FRANKLIN ANIMAL CLINIC
SAMUEL DOVERSPIKE, D.V.M.
1623 PITTSBURGH STREET
FRANKLIN, PA 16323
814-437-5768
HARTS RUN ANIMAL CLINIC
DR. ASHLEY VEINE
634 DORSEYVILLE ROAD
FOX CHAPEL, PA 15238
412-963-8889

 

[Sniperzombies]

Pasta! Thats a good idea, he loves spagetti. I can try potatoes too. I didn't even think of that. I tried eggs but he just threw them around the cage like they were a toy so I've been secretly mixing the yolk in with the sweet potato. His old owner fed him crap so he's been REALLY difficult to ween off garbage. He's not acting like he's hurt, although he does doze a little after he eats in his triangle fleece snuggy. Its the nutrition I'm worried about. At this point I'm not sure if he can eat the solid food or if he's just thinking he can just eat baby food for the rest of his life if he fusses enough.

 

[Sniperzombies]

I also tried Quinoa but he didn't seem to think it was edible. He wants his seeds, I let him out and he walked down his cage and found his dish and tried to eat them.

 

[apollosparents]

Pasta! Thats a good idea, he loves spagetti. I can try potatoes too. I didn't even think of that. I tried eggs but he just threw them around the cage like they were a toy so I've been secretly mixing the yolk in with the sweet potato. His old owner fed him crap so he's been REALLY difficult to ween off garbage. He's not acting like he's hurt, although he does doze a little after he eats in his triangle fleece snuggy. Its the nutrition I'm worried about. At this point I'm not sure if he can eat the solid food or if he's just thinking he can just eat baby food for the rest of his life if he fusses enough.

All of that sounds like a good plan. The sweet potato is probably the very best veggie/baby food he could eat but I am not a nutritionist but I am sure it is not completely balanced. I would mix it with anything above for him though since he likes the taste. If it was me, based on what you told me, I would puree the baby food with some pelletized diet or mix in some hand feeding formula and a little water with the sweet potato baby food (so it keeps the same consistency) You will have to feed it more though becuase remember it is getting A LOT more water than it is used to in the food and less nutrients that way.

 

[Macawnutz]

While he is hurt and before you get to a vet let him eat anything he will eat even if you think it is garbage like seeds.

 

[Sniperzombies]

Question: Can I take his seeds and puree them? Or would the shells not be good for him ground up. I just ordered some parrot baby food,it'll be here tomorrow. Trying spaghetti now.

 

[apollosparents]

Question: Can I take his seeds and puree them? Or would the shells not be good for him ground up. I just ordered some parrot baby food,it'll be here tomorrow. Trying spaghetti now.

I would shell the sunflower seeds and/or try to get shelled sunflower and safflower seeds. I assume these are what he really likes since these are the worst but most loved by our birdies. If you cannot, then yes you can puree them whole but the shells do not have any value and would just be filler....Meaning he would have to eat more by weight to get the same nutrients/calories than if they were shelled.

 

[Sniperzombies]

Yeah he loves them. I love him but I'm not shelling the millet... lol. I cut the spaghetti into tiny pieces but he just rolls them around in his mouth until the sauce is gone and spits them out I'll have to mash them up.

 

[apollosparents]

Yeah he loves them. I love him but I'm not shelling the millet... lol. I cut the spaghetti into tiny pieces but he just rolls them around in his mouth until the sauce is gone and spits them out I'll have to mash them up.

Well there are nutrients in the sauce that he is getting doing that so it is not all in vain. Go ahead and mash em up. I bet he will eat them sine he is even tolerating them in his mouth. Like Macawnutz said, anything to get him to eat. Hell, I would mash up potato chips and Doritos for my kids with some water if that is what they would eat And trust me.....They would EAT.

 

[Sniperzombies]

when I first got him I ordered a pizza for a couple friends of mine. I had it sitting on the table for a half hour after we were done and I turned around for less than a minute to find him walking all over the pizza covered in sauce.

 

[rocky'smom]

try mashed sweet potatos with good dash of cinnamon to it. when my rocky was sick it was the one thing that i could him to eat.

 

[webchirp]

I would get some formula and mix it in with his baby food. Also, I have this on hand for emergency....Emeraid Omnivore - Emeraid It is complete and easy to break down in their system. Contact a wild life rehabber around you and see if they can help as well.

 

[karen256]

Handfeeding formula like already mentioned is good, mix it with some of the baby food sweet potatoes he likes and that will really be enough for him until his beak isn't sore anymore.
If he's missing his seeds, you might try offering a little bit of unsalted creamy peanut butter or, depending on how he's feeling, maybe small pieces of walnut or pine nut (they are pretty soft as far as nuts go) - just as treats though.

 

[Sniperzombies]

he liks the ground up seeds in the baby food. he's making "yummy" noises

 

[Danita]

You need to definitely do a few things:

7. Find an avian vet. Even if your too far away or the bird is too stressed to transport, most will be glad to assist you on the phone and work with vet you do have for any antibiotics and pain meds they need to help heal.

PLEASE keep us up to date when you can on your little guy.

Make sure you make an appt., beak injuries are really sore, if they don't heal properly, they can be a life long impairment.
Glad he ate something!
Make sure he is drinking too!

 

[webchirp]

My vet does phone consults with other vets if you have no other options. Bird and Exotic Pet Wellness Center - Toledo, OH - Home