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Urgent Parakeet Broken Beak

Dexy2010

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Whitney Hitt
Hi everyone.
So, last Friday our parakeet somehow managed to break his bottom beak. He has been to the vet and it was labeled "traumatic amputation" on the paperwork. He was given an antibiotic shot, a pain medication, and special food. He will not eat the food that was given to us and he seems to slip out of every position we've tried to keep his head still. We don't want to stress him out more than he already is so we've been trying to get him to eat other things. Before yesterday we had very little luck. We were able to get him to eat quinoa. I don't know if this food alone would be able to provide the nutrition he needs though. Has anyone ever dealt with lower beak issues? I've seen plenty of posts about top beaks, but never bottom.

Also, his feathers are looking a little ragged and I'm trying to figure out a way to clean him up that wouldn't cause his body to have to work any harder than it already is to regulate his temperature.
 
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iamwhoiam

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Sorry about your parakeet. How about moistening some pellets for him or making him mushy mashes? You can also mush up some apple.
 

Dexy2010

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We've tried making the food soft, he still has an aversion to that. (We may def try again now that he's tried something we've given him.) He loves pears, so we are def going to try to give him that mashed up.

What exactly would constitute a "mushy mashes"?
 

Fia Baby

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My cockatoo has NO lower beak, it was burned when she was a chick, and it de-gloved. She's also missing the tip of top beak. She adjusted to this while still being hand-fed as a chick, so the adjustment was easy for her, but she eats a soft diet without any difficulties. My feeling is that he'll learn to eat if given support. Can you try hulling the seeds for him to start with? He may be able to do easy ones himself eventually, but until you see him doing it. Quinoa will be good. Any small sprouts as well, and things he likes that you can present in small pieces. Broccoli florets, minced greens, minced pears. Try sprouting the 'keet seeds and giving them while they're still very tiny. He may eat some chia seeds too. I'd mix some of his favorite small seeds into any of the fresh minced things. I wouldn't stress him out by trying to force feed him.
 

Dexy2010

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I feel like he may be starting to adjust, but the first few days we had to force him so that he would have some food in him.
I'm going to put all of the things mentioned in the notepad on my phone to look into and try.
 

iamwhoiam

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Dexy2010

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I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the suggestions!
Sevro seems to be adapting and he has gained back about 2 grams of weight. He had lost a great deal. *fingers crossed that everything keeps going well*
 

Monica

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Charlie, my mitred, lost half of his lower beak when he was 12 years old. His fault entirely! (tried to pick a fight with a much larger bird who was blind!) I rarely feed him seeds because it's difficult for him to eat them, but he tries anyway! But I do feed him pellets, sprouts and fresh foods. Charlie is 24 years old this year, so his injury happened over 12 years ago. (spring/summer of 2006 - adopted him fall of the same year)


They certainly do learn to adjust! Glad your little one is feeling better! You might also try grinding pellets down into a powder, mixing in a little seed with it, then some water to make a thick paste. Then make this into little "cakes" or "balls" for him to eat. The seeds will help to entice him to try the pellets at least.
 

rockybird

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Can seeds be softened for him? I wouldnt want to leave them out for too long though. Can he eat millet? What if you shave it into a dish?
 

Dexy2010

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Thanks everyone!
He mainly seems to enjoy cooked quinoa plain or mixed with other things and we were told by a vet that we could mix in handfeeding formula to help make sure he was getting all of the nutrients that might be missing.
 

SandraK

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Plain pasta, Minute has a brown, red & wild rice & quinoa mix without any seasoning (4 rice packs/box; 1 cup water to 1 pack). My fids love it. They also like steamed/ microwaved corn (off the cob), steamed peas. I have 3 tiels with beak problems, 1 slightly scissored, one under slung bottom beak and the last with a bottom beak that is split to the point of growth.
 
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