Overgrown beak

[Willow]

My Aspen has always had a strange beak. The vets remark on it, but her bloodwork comes back normal. Now, I've finally found a vet here that I like, after visiting several. She will not do a beak trimming with the dremmel (if needed) unless the bird is under anesthesia. She does not recommend doing anything as long as Aspen has no trouble eating, which she does not.

I wonder if others have experience with a beak growing like this?

Also, two of the other vets I visited had no problems using the dremmel on the beaks (just to smooth them) with the bird awake. One of these was a well know and respected vet, I just had a personality conflict with her.

Comments appreciated.

Here is a very poor photo, but it you look close, you can see how long the beak is. Tomorrow I will get a much better pic.

[Monica]

Overgrown beaks are normally caused by lack of things to chew, a poor diet, mites, an illness, among maybe a few other things. The beak is definitely overgrown, and should be trimmed down to a more appropriate size. It may help in the end even if it doesn't seem to be a problem now.

[Alyce Johnson]

I have a bird with a strange & somewhat overgrown beak. My avian vet suggested it might be fungal or a vitamin deficiency, and did trim it a tiny bit, but your bird's beak isnt discolored like mine's was/is. So far, mine has no trouble either eatting or biting (it's an aviary bird, not really a pet). So, I'm just trying to make sure he gets vitamin supplements regularly. I share your discomfort with the dremmel on the beak, although I watched them do my macaw's toes with the dremmel and it was clear that she wasnt at all upset by it (even though I was). Still, I think the beak would be a different story...

[Alika]

My amazon (BFA) came to me from rescue with a funky beak. It was overgrown, cracked, mishapen, and the maxilla curved inward... into the mouth. It was awful.

The first thing I did was get her on a good diet and gave her lots of toys. I wanted to see how much of the problem would resolve itself.

It took almost a year, but the beak grew out... the new beak had no cracking in it... the cracking and uneven spots had grown out to the tip. I was so proud! However, it was still overgrown... toys alone were not enough to restore it to good condition. So I dremeled it.

I have training in beak dremeling/coping, and I wouldn't recommend anyone who wasn't trained to do this because it is very delicate.

The beak looks a lot better now, though. A lot better:

before:



after:



The picture in my sig is in between... I did this in two different sessions, two months apart You can see how the cracking had grown down to the tip, and how I had smoothed and shaped part of the beak, but it still wasn't finished.

I'd be worried that if you don't interrupt the growth right now, it will get worse. Also, if it is growing the least bit crooked, it will definitely continue to get worse. Dremeling can do a lot of good.

I don't think it is necessary to put *most* birds under anesthesia for it, though. I think you would be wise to find a good vet who is comfortable doing this while the bird is awake. It would be even better if you could be in the room while it was happening, and find a vet who really, really knows what they are doing.

[StellaBlue]

I am a HUGE fan of the flavored calcium perches that are available at most big pet stores.

Sam (BG macaw, AKA peevish blue chicken) bit Al's (GW macaw) beak and removed an outer flake of his upper mandible on one side a couple of years ago. The vet had us just watch for infection. He was fine, but apparently it was uncomfortable, because he chewed and played on one side for a while, and his lower mandible had some abnormal growth - got longer on one side. We put all sorts of things in the cage - lava rocks, concrete perches, wood, etc. to encourage him to chew and wear it down naturally, as it really wasn't giving him any trouble with eating.

The calcium cuttlebone perches finally did the trick. Soft enough AND nicely flavored, they were apparently so appealing that he crunched down into them and managed to get his beak back to near-normal (he still has a slight unevenness, but it is strictly cosmetic). We keep these available in our bird cages at all times now, and they do a terrific job of beak conditioning.

Bottom line, keep commmunicating with your vet. If your vet chooses not to dremel, try one of these. Our birds find them appealing and I think they really help.

Regards,
Rita

[Rue]

...I dunno about the dremelling...I know it can be a great technique for certain beak issues, but if it's done at all improperly, it can quickly kill a bird...things heat up so fast and brain damage can result before you know it...

[The Outlaw]

I'd still be concerned about liver problems. Usually providing good things to chew and a good fresh diet will work wonders. Have you noticed yellow in the bird's droppings? If so, that's a sign of liver malfunction. Also, sometimes the feathers will have an oily or greasy look and feel. How old is your bird?

[Willow]

She is only 2.5 years old, her bloodwork has been normal each time it's been run, and she eats a good, healthy, varied diets. They have a ton of toys and and other such things to chew. It is very overgrown, though. No one has run across anything like this, in such a young bird? I've had her since she was 13 weeks old, so it's not like she had years of improper diet or care. But, she did come from a very shady guy. I'm really not tha tworried about dremmeling - more so that the vet wants to put her under in order to do so! Unfotunately, I greatly prefer that vet to either of the others, who would dremmel her beak with her awake. So, I don't know. I guess I'll continue to monitor her and keep the dialog open with the vet . . . Thanks for the thoughts!

I will look into getting her a flavored calcium perch, also.

[Alika]

I have sometimes wondered if too rich of a diet would cause beaks and nails to grow more quickly. My cockatiel's beak has grown a little long since she's been on pellets (with seeds and fruits and veggies and cooked foods) and I wonder if it's just too much of a good thing. I've since cut back on her pellet consumption, focusing more on seeds and veggies and grains.

You can't dremel a cockatile beak... too hard on their little skulls... and I don't have a filing kit (yet). Besides, it's not that overgrown yet. Like your little bird, she gets a great diet and has plenty to chew on.

I have not had this problem with my other birds, so I don't know whether it is diet related or not... just a theory of mine.

[Stizby]

I bought my male ekkie with a very overgrown beak. His overgrowth was due to being kept with no toys to chew. I took him to the vet right away and my vet said it was in the bird's best interest to grind the beak with the dremel rather than for the bird to work it down on his own.

My vet dremeled Charlie's beak while he was awake. I stayed in the room with Charlie. It did not take the vet that long to do it at all as he had a lot of experience. Yes, Charlie was traumatized by the experience as it occurred but he seemed to regain his compusure very quickly. Fortunately, Charlie has been given lots to chew since then and he is keeping his beak in fine condition ever since. I would not like to see him go through that experience more than once.