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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
| Subdued Smokey |
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Yesterday I came home from work to find Smokey very subdued. My husband told me he'd seen my daughter give her a piece of red luttuce out of a "Spring Mix" of greens. A few minutes later they noticed her acting like she was throwing up. She actually did throw up some of the greens and birdie bread she'd eaten. I got really scared. But after calming down a bit and assessing things better I found a broken piece off one of her toys and noticed the tip of her beak had broken off. So wondered if that was the problem, maybe her beak was sore? Today she seems better, though she's aggravated with the budgies who for some reason have decided today that they want to play on top of her cage. I'll be watching her though and get her to the vet if necessary. But meanwhile, she sure gave me a scare.
Robin |
Sunday June 25, 2006 3:41 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7972
Location: Australia |
hmmm interesting.. Chances are it is the beak, they do get sore if they loose a chunk of it... poor thing.. but still better to keep an eye out for abnormalities just in case.
I'm sure those budgies are opportunists!! They know when to annoy the daylight out of the other flock members... Hit them when they are down they say~!! LOL |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 6:00 pm |
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Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
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Hmmm, it could be the beak? I don't know?
I have heard some stories of greys with the same problem, but never heard any similar stories like yours?
Poor birdy.. 
Hang in there |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 7:51 pm |
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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
Yeah, I think it's definitely her beak. It had grown a little long and I think she's just sore from it breaking off. Even when I gave her a grape today she did not bite it like usual. She kinda bit on the side of her beak. So I do think it's sore. Other than that she's been fine so I hope she feels better quick!
Robin |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 8:32 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I don't know if the tip breaking off would effect him, unless it was broken off enough to expose a nerve, or a blood vessel? But, I'm not sure. Manu once had a very, very slight crack in his beak, about halfway up & it was bleeding  He was very inactive & quiet for 2 weeks & on pain meds 
Whatever the problem is, I sure hope he is back to normal real soon! |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 8:35 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Oh, after reading what you just wrote about eating the grape with the side of her beak, I'd say it probably is bothering her somewhat. Maybe it's just an adjustment she has to make since losing the tip of her beak. |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 8:38 pm |
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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
Well she's definitely better than she was yesterday. But I will watch and if she's still not acting normal by tomorrow will call the vet. The beak does not look like it broke off too short. There's no blood or anything. But maybe will need to check it out just to be sure. Poor baby.
Robin |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 8:54 pm |
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fruitynutbird
Fledgeling
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 226
Location: Sydney, Australia |
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There ia a Herbst's Corpuscle (an encapsulated bundle of highly sensitive nerve endings) at the tip of a parrot's beak, which allows a parrot to gain information about an object by touching it with its beak, just as we humans would get information about an object by touching it with a finger.
Please make sure that you find an absolutely top-notch avian veterinarian who has had LOTS of experience in the past with broken beaks, ESPECIALLY if he/she intends to repair and/or reshape the beak using Dremel type rotary grinding tools. Sally Blanchard writes about this in her books, "Companion Parrot Behavior" and "The Beak Book". She used to use a Dremel tool in her woodcarving and apparently, it slips VERY EASILY and would really burn and hurt her fingers whenever it slipped.
PLEASE THINK FOUR TIMES OR MORE BEFORE ALLOWING YOUR PARROT'S BEAK TO BE GROUND USING A DREMEL TYPE ROTARY GRINDING TOOL!!
Remember, the eyes are VERY CLOSE to a parrot's beak to be using slippery, hot AND abrasive Dremel type rotary grinding tools!
The keratin part of a parrot's beak routinely gets broken off by normal wear and tear. If your parrot ONLY has this part of its beak damaged, it should eventually grow back on its own accord and reshape normally with everyday beak grinding during eating, etc. |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 9:26 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
my vet uses a dremel |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 9:58 pm |
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fruitynutbird
Fledgeling
Joined: 03 May 2006
Posts: 226
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I believe that Sally isn't saying Dremel type tools should NEVER be used AT ALL, but that, because they are VERY risky tools, they should ONLY be reserved for SERIOUS beak deformities in the hands of a SKILLFUL AND CAREFUL veterinarian, rather than as part of routine grooming procedures. |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 10:14 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7405
Location: Canada, Toronto |
I see, I'll mention that to my vet next time and see what he says. because he does use it for regular grooming . I'm sure he won't use it if I tell him I'm uncomfortable with it. |
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Sunday June 25, 2006 10:19 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I think it's a good idea to call your avian vet if he's still not feeling himself in a day or so, but I'm sure he'll be fine. Tho like FNB says, I wouldn't get the beak trimmed. Tips of beaks break off fairly often. Tho, you may have to feed him only soft foods for awhile. How is he eating? |
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Monday June 26, 2006 11:50 am |
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chispleeze
Flier
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 475
Location: Upstate NY |
Just an update to say that Smokey is absolutely fine. She is back to her old self, eating, talking, chasing the budgies off her cage... She was actually fine the next day after I last posted. Her beak was a little overgrown and I normally would have trimmed the end off. I think it just broke off on it's own while she was playing and may have bothered her a bit. I think the red lettuce incident was just a coincidence. As I type she's chewing away on a new pinata toy. I think she just likes to scare the bejeebers out of me. 
Robin |
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Friday June 30, 2006 5:05 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
Ah! Glad to hear that Smokey's fine Robin! |
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Friday June 30, 2006 7:21 pm |
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