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My 6 y/o female parakeet has had over growth of her cere in the past. Recently she has another overgrowth but one side more abnormal than before. It looks to be closed more than the other side (noticed 2 days ago) - as I am not sure if she can breathe right. I was told she has a bengin tumor due to being over weight. The bird still flies but sometimes sounds like she is wheezing. She scratches her nose in an effort to remove the offending issue. I have an appointment to see the vet for a nail trim but can ask for an additional exam as my male parakeet that visit needs a beak trim. Is this due to moving to a drier enviroment? Or is there something else I can do? Both of my parakeets are sneezing more as of recently. And I have an air purifier now closer to them.
Optional Information: Pet's Gender: Female Pet's Age: 6 Type of Animal: parakeet Already Tried: air purifier, drying clothes in apartment for moisture
-- What you're describing could be a variety of things and yes, being overweight can contribute to it. So can being of sexual maturity. There are really many conditions that might cause this symptom. --- Tell me a bit about their food. What do they eat? Is it a seed based diet? What fresh foods, if any, and how often? Tell me more about who said 'tumor' and anything else said. What tests, if any, were done? What sort of environment? Carpeting, other pets, where in the house are they located? Whatever details you can offer will be helpful
The birds eat mostly seeds, but also get an egg biscuit product daily, with vitamin supplementation sprinkled on top daily. They do eat veggies, when I eat them, during meals, on a seperate plate. The birds mostly like corn, broccoli, salad, cucumbers, carrots, homemade bread, and get fresh filtered water daily.
The before I moved out west (I am from the east coast) said the female had a benign tumor, it was a hard mass on her chest wall. The female, never laid any eggs. The female has always been more of a home-body and actually freaks out more than the male. But she does enjoy getting out her house (cage) to fly around the apartment. I give her spray water showers periodically, whenever the male wants to go into the kitchen sink and bathe. I only spray her with water for as long as she wants.
There are no carpets other than the area rug I have in the living room and a small one in the kitchen. The floor is hardwood which I vacuum every few days (4-5) depending on the amount of seed hulls on the floor. I also vacuum the space between their cages and around every few days to a week.
They birds are located near the kitchen (near the breakfast bar), on one of the walls, away from the windows and direct sunlight. The birds are able to see if anyone enters the home (apartment/condo). The air conditioner is on thermator of sorts (it keeps the temperature of the apartment/condo at about 73F). The building I live in services the HVAC unit and said when I moved that the air filter was new.
Thank you for your reply. I'm here on the West coast too and like you I made my way from the East coast (Albany NY area). I'm now in the Sacramento area. And you? --- When it comes to your little female and her cere growth, the presence of a tumor, even though benign, probably has a good deal to do with it. And the tumor is very likely the result of diet. You can stop using the pet store products of vitamins and all that. They are known to do more harm than good and owners are often shocked to discover that pet store products can pretty much promise you they'll turn your bird's wings into flippers or make a budgie a real boy and there are no 'truth in advertising' laws like there are for human products. Our very intelligent and self aware feathered companions are legally considered 'replaceable goods' . It's disgusting. --- Copy and paste this into your browser bar for ideas and techniques about how to fix their diet - VERY easily and quickly and with stuff already in your kitchen or at any grocery store. http://www.4animalcare.org/birds--- As for the sneezing, depending on where you are out here on the West coast, it could be allergens. Where I am it's a deep bowl of allergens for all 9 months of 'summer'. As tedious as it is, vacuuming daily will help. I vac twice a day, every day, but then I house macaws here and they have a huge sensitivity to allergens. --- Together with the regular vacuuming a true HEPA air filtration machine is good for everyone in the house. Not a HEPA imitation. You'll pay more for the true HEPA, but it's worth it rather than buying the HEPA-like machines over and over, which you'll end up having to do. --- The nutritional modification and elimination of seeds completely is the one tried and true treatment for what you're seeing. Of course you need a vet who knows birds to work with you and monitor the progression. That benign tumor can press on certain muscles and nerves that cause physical symptoms and sometimes a permanent physical disability like inability to perch or walk. You won't have much of a problem switching them onto more fresh foods - you're already doing many of the right things. Now it's a matter of adding some deep orange colors like sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, deep greens and leafy veggies. The link provided earlier will be more specific. --- And I'll stand by you all the way. This is something you are no longer all alone in. Just let me know what's happening and how it's going ok?
Experience: Cert. Avian Specialist; Int. Assoc.Animal Behavior Consult; Pet Ind. Joint Advisory Council; author