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How to accommodate for a messed-up beak

taxidermynerd

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Does anyone have advice on how to accommodate Chirp's beak problems?

For anyone who needs some background on this, here you go: Beak issue | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

His beak is brittle and has a split in it that goes all the way up into his mouth. He can only have soft foods because hard foods (like dry pellets) could harm it more. The vet also warned that there is a possibility of his beak breaking and also of necrosis if that does happen.

If anyone has experience with birds with beak problems, I'd be more than happy to hear what you have to say.
 

Mizzely

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I wish I did :hug8:
 

Rain Bow

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:bighug: & a wee little :bump7:
 

rocky'smom

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Let me ask my friend Nick, little Eddie had problems with a messed up beak, when Nick first got him. I know that it was lots of soft foods and mashes. Little Eddie is a little macaw.
 

Zara

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Rain Bow

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webchirp

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Oh no. I wish I could be of more help...other than soft foods and what you are doing...:sadhug2:
 

AkasyaEllric

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Everything with Chirp still breaks my heart. I think you're doing what you can food wise, my only wonder is if toys or caging would need to be changed around to accommodate his beak. Did your vet say anything about that?
 

taxidermynerd

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Everything with Chirp still breaks my heart. I think you're doing what you can food wise, my only wonder is if toys or caging would need to be changed around to accommodate his beak. Did your vet say anything about that?
She didn't, although I have thought about it, I'm just not sure what would help. I will ask her next time we go (on the 13th).
 

Cynthia & Percy

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little general g2 broke his beak it was bloodie so I toke him to the vet the vet used a drimal and shaped his beak
 

rocky'smom

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@taxidermynerd ,sorry to be so late getting back to you. Nicky has rats in house. YIKES!!!! His birds are staying at Andrea's house for the time being. He said that any pellets can be made into mash with some warm water. He said to try it until you get Chirp to like the amount of water to pellets combo. Since Chirp can't have any hard foods, he said also try over cooked noodles like spaghetti (there is alternative forms that are not wheat based,like brown rice spaghetti) cut into tiny pieces or oatmeal like rolled oats no salt. Cream of wheat cereal, baby cereal that is low to no iron. If Chirp like fruit, applesauce, tiny diced pears, mashed bananas, also he said try birdy bread, like carrot bread no sugar or salt, date bread no sugar or salt. He said there are recipes online. Mashed sweet potatoes is another recommendation.
 

Lady Jane

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I am so sorry this happened to your bird. Its like a person with a broken arm. Do you think this bird is in any pain? Also there is a risk for infection due to exposure of soft tissue. Have you fed soaked pellets? Here is a fairly comprehensive article:

Broken / Cracked Beaks | Beauty of Birds
 

taxidermynerd

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So after some more developments (check the other thread linked in the first post) the vet has told me that there is a chance of the necrosis progressing and even of Chirp losing his upper beak. If this were to happen... What could I do to accommodate him? Does anyone have any information on birds missing their top beak? I know birds can adapt, but I don't know how I could adapt. Any info would be very helpful.
 

Shezbug

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There was a bird on here somewhere with the top beak missing.

I am sure it was a conure called Wall E or something very similar and there were a few others in that thread that chimed in about birds missing parts of their beaks. If I can find it I will link it for you or if someone else finds it hopefully they will share the link with you.
 

Shezbug

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Thanks @Mizzely that is the one.

I’m pretty sure @Monica may also have a bird with part of its beak missing if I remember correctly.
 

Monica

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Yes, that would be Charlie. He's missing a portion of his lower beak, and I adopted him some months after his surgeries to 'correct' it. (he decided to pick on a blind ruby macaw and got the short end of the stick). His beak was starting to 'harden' and heal at the time. I rarely feed him dry seeds since he has difficulty eating them. His primary diet is pellets and fresh food, although I use sprouts as a base for the fresh food I feed my birds. Other than beak trims, he doesn't get any special care.


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I do have a long distance friend who currently has a lovebird missing half of her upper beak (skirmish with one of his other birds, if I recall correctly) and she recently had surgery to remove one of her wings (cancer).

74701501_10217696154534269_8239498993319542784_n.jpg
 

taxidermynerd

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So Chirp has managed to chip off more of his beak... it's very short now. He can still eat and climb and all that, play with toys and preen. But are there any cage adjustments I should be making at this point? Maybe removing some toys or something? I wonder if more platforms might be a good idea, also I added more padding to the bottom of the cage just in case.

 
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