Is paw paw ointment safe for parrots

[EmmahJadee]

Hi guys, I'm new here and have a question that I can't seem to find the answer for anywhere else.

Does anyone know if paw paw ointment is safe for parrots? I'm asking because I'd like to apply it to my two alexandrines beak's as they are molting and peeling, I thought this may help the process and restore some moisture. I have heard of using coconut oil but my vet recommended not to use coconut oil as it may cause more peeling and leave a powdery white appearance.

Thank you, Emma.

 

[Shezbug]

Hi and welcome

I would not use anything on the beak as whatever you put on the beak will end up on feathers and oils and creams etc are not a good thing to get on feathers as they can cause over preening adding to chances of plucking and feather destruction as well as altering how the feathers work for flight, heating and cooling etc, what you are seeing with the beak is totally normal- the beak will flake off the old parts like our old skin cells flake off.

If the flaking is bothering you then you can offer more bathing opportunities and encourage chewing (bark covered bird safe branches usually do the trick) to help the flaking process speed up. It is nothing to worry about and all birds will have some beak flaking now and then.

 

[EmmahJadee]

Hi and welcome

I would not use anything on the beak as whatever you put on the beak will end up on feathers and oils and creams etc are not a good thing to get on feathers as they can cause over preening adding to chances of plucking and feather destruction as well as altering how the feathers work for flight, heating and cooling etc, what you are seeing with the beak is totally normal- the beak will flake off the old parts like our old skin cells flake off.

If the flaking is bothering you then you can offer more bathing opportunities and encourage chewing (bark covered bird safe branches usually do the trick) to help the flaking process speed up. It is nothing to worry about and all birds will have some beak flaking now and then.

Thank you for replying ,I understand beak molting is a normal process.To elaborate on the situation with one of them I rescued him a few months ago,one of his legs was torn off in his previous aviary home by other male birds. Because of this he uses his beak an awful lot more to lug his weight around the cage.He had a cage that had large cage but it had small bars, which caused damage to the front/sides of his beak from wedging it between the bars to move around, if that makes sense, I'll attach a photo. He has flat perches and I put rope along the edges to avoid this but it wasn't working,we have since put him in a massive cage that has large bars to avoid the rubbing. He also had a little chunk missing at the top of his beak from the other birds attacking. He has had antibiotics and the skin has healed over well considering, you can see the keratin starting to build over the top again.Do you know of anything else that could help in this scenario, like you said, it is an issue when it gets on their feathers. Maybe just letting the marks and the injury heal naturally is the best option, I just want to help this little guy as much as possible his the sweetest boy.

 

[Shezbug]

If this was my bird I would honestly just leave that beak to do its own thing. My macaw and cocky regularly have messier looking beaks than your pic shows and there is literally no health concerns or hassles leaving it till it sorts itself out.

If the appearance is really bothering you then maybe you could take a very fine nail file to it to tidy it up? It should not be causing your bird any hassles and even the best cared for birds have flaking beak bits

 

[Shezbug]

My macaw had chunks/sheets/slices of beak flaking off a just few days ago that were large enough that I could slide my nail under them, they’re gone already and now he has a few iffy looking bits from whatever he was chewing earlier today- they’ll be gone soon enough and as they don’t interfere with health or function I choose to ignore their appearance.

 

[EmmahJadee]

Thank you for your replies,i do tend to over think things

 

[Shezbug]

Thank you for your replies,i do tend to over think things

I do too, but I think it’s better to over think than under think as long as I stay rational which is often hard for me lol.
I tend to prefer nothing touches my birds feathers and skin than what nature offers for wild birds- they have the healthiest feathers, beaks and skin I’ve ever seen so I like to keep things as simple and natural as possible for my three boys.