Friday, December 14, 2012

The Truth About Beak Trims

Many people take their birds to the veterinarian for beak trims but is it really necessary? In case you don't know what a beak trim is, it is very comparable to a nail trim for a dog or cat. A veterinarian may use a dremel, nail file, or other trimming device like nail clippers depending on the size of the bird. Trimming beaks is especially popular for larger parrots who have very large beaks.

Many bird owners want to get their bird's beak trimmed to lessen the impact of a bite from their bird. The beak may be dremeled down to have a more dull tip. Others might want to smooth out the keratin on their bird's beak that can accumulate around the edges for cosmetic purposes.

Above is a video of a bird getting her beak and nails trimmed. It's amazing the vet is able to do this without someone else holding the bird.

The truth about beak trims is that they are not necessary for your bird's health. If your bird needs a beak trim, then they probably have a medical problem. Abnormal beak growth can be a sign of a number of health problems for a bird.

A beak that appears very crusty and flaky can be a sign of mites. Beaks affected by mites will have a "honeycomb" appearance. The bird may rub its beak on things like perches very often, as they are itchy. Having mites can make a bird's beak very brittle. The bird's feet may also be affected if they have mites.

A beak that grows long very quickly is usually a sign of nutritional deficiencies in the bird's diet. It can be a sign of Vitamin A deficiency, liver disease, or both. Typically, birds with a seed only diet have this problem. Their claws may also grow faster than they should.

Trauma can permanently damage to a bird's beak, causing it to grow irregularly for the rest of a bird's life. I once met a parrotlet who lost his lower beak in an accident. He required lots of regular beak trims for his upper beak. Remember to always monitor your bird closely when they are outside of their cage!

This Hans Macaw is missing its upper beak. Photo: Animal Kingdom Pet Hospital

In the wild, birds do not have their beaks trimmed. They are able to maintain their beaks on their own. You can help your bird maintain their beak by providing them with lots of things to chew on or grooming perches to rub their beaks on.

This was always a topic that was hard to discuss with bird owners. I am not saying that trimming a bird's beak for cosmetic or biting purposes is bad or harmful to your bird. It should have no detrimental effects on your bird's health, but the truth is that it may not be absolutely necessary for normal healthy birds. Do you have your bird's beak trimmed? If so, for what reason?

14 comments:

  1. We too didn't know birdies needed beak trimming. Poor things, paws are bad enough. Have a fabulous Friday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. Oh yes. Sometimes they try to lick the dremmel.

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  2. When my friend's parakeet got old it needed its beak trimmed. It was growing under making it difficult to eat.

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    1. Yea when their beaks get too long, they can't eat properly.

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  3. I didn't even know birdies needed beak trims!! thanks for sharing, Ann!!
    Cotton

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  4. Don't caged birds have cuttle fish to grind their beaks down ? xx00xx

    Mollie and Alfie

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    Replies
    1. I think that's slightly controversial because it contains mercury, but not much. It's a good tool for them to use their beaks on. Even if they don't use cuttlebone, they should be able to maintain their beaks on a number of other things.

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  5. Hey it's Jet here. Hi Miss Ann.

    Thanks for that info, we do not know much about avians. :)

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  6. I sure wouldn't want to have MY beak trimmed!!!

    your pal,
    Garth

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  7. I need advise, my friend had her parakeet of (22yrs) beak trimmed today and afterwards the bird had seizures and died?? What could have caused this? Anyone??

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    1. I'm sorry Denise. 22 years is quite old for a parakeet. Going to the vet can be very stressful for birds. Especially if they are not used to it or have a stressful procedure performed. We used to have to warn clients with birds who were presumably ill or old that there was a chance the birds could suffer injury during examination.

      For example, we were seeing a bird who we thought might be suffering from calcium deficiency. She was extremely frail and after her exam, because she struggled she began to hold her wing in an odd position. We were extremely careful with her, but could not help that she already suffered from disease caused from a lifetime of a poor diet of seed mix.

      In your friend's case, it is very possible that the stress of the situation was too much for the bird to handle causing death. I don't know the bird's history, so I can't say for sure. Also, it may not have been a seizure but rather just the process of death itself. Dying can sometimes resemble a seizure as the body does some jerky and strange movements during the process.

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  8. Is it normal that my eclectus parrot isn't squawking much or at all after we gave its beak a trim?

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    1. Hmmm well I think that's a tough question for me to answer. I'd think it might be OK if it lasted for a short period of time. I think any time a pet bird is not acting themselves is cause for concern.

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