Budgie’s got the long beak blues
Q I recently acquired a budgerigar after his previous owner went into a residential home. He (I think it’s a he) has a slightly long beak and some crusting around his nostrils. Does this warrant a trip to the vet?
A Just above the beak is a structure called the cere. In general, if it is blue, he is male, and if brown, female.
As you don’t know a lot about your budgerigar, I recommend a general check by a vet who has a particular interest and/or expertise in small birds.
The slightly long beak and scale may be a sign of nutritional deficiencies or a parasitic mite called Knemidocoptes.
If the feed is predominantly seed only, particularly in an inactive indoor bird, there may be a deficiency of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Obesity and liver disorders are possible long-term complications that could lead to beak and feather abnormalities.
Your vet will advise on a suitable balanced diet, including bird pellets and a supply of fresh vegetables.
If the beak is considered too long, vets will trim and advise how to prevent overgrowth of the beak in future. I do not recommend trimming it yourself.
Knemidocoptes is a common parasitic mite in budgies.
It causes a condition called scaly face and scaly leg, where crusty itchy lesions appear around the beak and the legs.
If untreated, beak and leg deformities result, with the budgie having trouble perching. The mite can be identified by microscopic examination.
Treatment with an antiparasitic drug is very effective, and the earlier given the better.
Q Our four-year-old Great Dane has developed a swelling over his left elbow. My vet diagnosed the dog equivalent of housemaid’s knee. She is reluctant to do anything major and at present the elbow has been bandaged and we are making her bedding as soft as possible. Are surgical procedures to remove the swelling possible?
A The medical name for this condition is hygroma. Most of the cases I have treated have been in large breeds, in bony regions covered with thin skin. It is caused by the dog lying on a hard surface with resulting damage to areas such as the elbow or hocks.
For the problem to have developed recently there may have been some change in the dog’s environment, or in the dog itself.
He may have chosen a warmer hard surface to lie on, or perhaps put on weight.
There is only a small amount of supporting tissue under the skin and bone in these cases. The body reacts via an inflammatory process and the production of fluid, which acts as a protective cushion.
The resultant, hygroma, is non-painful unless it becomes infected, but unsightly, which is why many owners ask if it can be surgically removed.
In the early stages, bandaging, weight reduction and ensuring soft bedding everywhere may resolve the problem in a few weeks. In severe cases, draining the fluid is possible but not without risk, as it may introduce infection, or recur.
Surgical removal, although possible, has a considerable risk of wound breakdown, because the areas involved are highly mobile.