Fungus Or Mites?

Hello there,

I have no idea what gender my bird is but I've been set up on a girl since I got her so that's what I go with.

I had noticed that my bird's feet were getting scaled/dried up a while ago and thought it could just be the weather as it's especially hot in here around this time of the year.

Last week I also noticed that the bottom of her cere had also started getting scaled up and I sort of freaked out went to the vet.

To my surprise the vet said it looked like fungus and gave me a spray solution and I've been using it for the past couple of days but I'm not entirely convinced that it is fungus. It always comes down to scaly face mites when I look it up online. She's not completely tamed and I had never hand-handled her before so it is very stressful for the both of us.

The contents of the spray includes Chlorine Dioxide Liquid, Aloe Vera, Lemon Grass, Oregano Daisy, Green Tea, Zinc (%5), Boric Acid (%9).

I added a picture of my bird. Could this really be a type of fungus? She used to scratch/shake off her feet from time to time but since using the spray she seems content with her feet. It's hard to find another vet closeby and I don't want to go against the vet's directions but I honestly think this is a case of mites.

Thank you all in advance.

Welcome and thank you for reaching out.

Where are you located (roughly) if you don't mind?

Is this a certified avian vet or a generally dogs and cats vet?
Chlorine Dioxide??!?! In the air??? via spray...plus zinc??? That sounds like a very very dangerous combination for a bird.

Spray of any sort makes me nervous...let alone one with chlorine dioxide (toxic gas) in it..bird's can't even safely be around essential oils, cleaners, Teflon or smoke (no fumes, no candles, no aerosols, no standard cleaners)...Chlorine dioxide is considered toxic for people....and you are spraying it...plus the zinc. I would stop using that spray UNLESS you are certain that your vet knows what he/she is doing and get my bird to another vet today or tomorrow.

It could be a fungus, but what testing was conducted?
There are scaly mites out there in the world, and ivermectin is usually the treatment. They can cause scaly-face and tassel foot...and while I am not a vet, it doesn't even sound like yours did anything but glance at the bird and then prescribe a potentially toxic spray...again---maybe I missed this chapter in bird husbandry, but I am pretty sure he is wrong...I just don't have a degree in birds (so I could also be wrong). Take my opinion (as a non vet) with a grain of salt, but seek a 2nd from another professional who knows birds.

I would trust your vet if he is an avian vet (which I strongly doubt, because this spray sounds deadly and his diagnostics measures sound like a joke, in my non-professional opinion). If he is not a CAV,a second opinion... based on what I know thus far, if it were me (not knowing credentials at this point) I would be looking for another opinion ASAP.

You probably should ask about blood-work if you see an avian vet, as these issues can reflect other, underlying problems...
If the vet just guessed that it was a fungus and didn't do any tests....and is an exotics vet or average vet, you should really really get a second opinion.

ZINC CAN BE VERY TOXIC TO BIRDS IF INGESTED, and chemicals are toxic (like chlorine dioxide) if inhaled or ingested....and I am not a vet...but that scares me...as they eat with their feet, and you are spraying it around, which means your bird is likely inhaling and ingesting this product. This spray might be tolerated by many short-lived many mammals, but I am thinking it is a poor choice for a bird (as they can die from chemicals in the air that we can tolerate in much larger amounts---they have very very sensitive respiratory systems)...Again, not a vet...but doesn't sound like yours knows much about birds..

I think it looks like mites. What did the vet. say?