Kappa's Beak
I think it was in a different community that I saw someone asking questions about a dry beak. I didn't see much for helpful responses there, so now that Kappa's got the same deal, I thought I'd post it here - both asking for advice if anyone knows, and providing what I've found out in case it helps someone else.
The symptom of concern is a dry and flaky beak, and it's been getting steadily worse as shown in the pictures below - the steady progression is what's bothering me most. My first 'tiel, Peeper, had a flaky beak too, at age 13, not as a young'un.
Left side, May 6
The tip of the upper beak is lighter colored, and the bottom beak is a bit flaky.
Left side, June 8
Both her upper and lower beaks are flaky.
Right side, May 6
Similar appearance to the left side at first.
Right side, June 8
A chunk flaked off the upper beak earlier today.
When I did a google search for "flaky beak", most hits turned up that the most common cause is Vitamin A defficiency. One page said that it's due to a deficiency in the amino acid methionine.
My plan is to (1) alter her diet slightly by adding more raw carrots to her veggies (since carrots have Vitamin A), and cooked egg whites (since eggs are a source of whole protein, which means it includes all types of amino acids), and (2) call a vet on Monday for a checkup. I got Kappa in early April at which point in time she had a throat culture but not a full physical, so it doesn't hurt to do it now. This doesn't feel like an emergency to me, so a checkup within a week (if possible) seems appropriate to me.
Anyone have any further thoughts on this? Sad that the first significant photo update I do in a while is due to health problems... She seems entirely healthy otherwise, perhaps even gaining a little weight after her initial loss when joining my family two months ago.
The symptom of concern is a dry and flaky beak, and it's been getting steadily worse as shown in the pictures below - the steady progression is what's bothering me most. My first 'tiel, Peeper, had a flaky beak too, at age 13, not as a young'un.
Left side, May 6
The tip of the upper beak is lighter colored, and the bottom beak is a bit flaky.
Left side, June 8
Both her upper and lower beaks are flaky.
Right side, May 6
Similar appearance to the left side at first.
Right side, June 8
A chunk flaked off the upper beak earlier today.
When I did a google search for "flaky beak", most hits turned up that the most common cause is Vitamin A defficiency. One page said that it's due to a deficiency in the amino acid methionine.
My plan is to (1) alter her diet slightly by adding more raw carrots to her veggies (since carrots have Vitamin A), and cooked egg whites (since eggs are a source of whole protein, which means it includes all types of amino acids), and (2) call a vet on Monday for a checkup. I got Kappa in early April at which point in time she had a throat culture but not a full physical, so it doesn't hurt to do it now. This doesn't feel like an emergency to me, so a checkup within a week (if possible) seems appropriate to me.
Anyone have any further thoughts on this? Sad that the first significant photo update I do in a while is due to health problems... She seems entirely healthy otherwise, perhaps even gaining a little weight after her initial loss when joining my family two months ago.