White puffs

[El raquel]

My 20 yr old African grey acts healthy but this morning I saw two strange soft white puffy growths right under her “chin”. I’ve never seen anything like it. She won’t let me touch them but doesn’t seem to be bothered by them.

I can’t find any info about something like these

 

[osklvste60]

Welcome. What is her name? My female CAG just got that old. Take a picture of her and post it. It's usually best to get an avian vets option.

 

[El raquel]

Thank you, her name is Foxy and I’ll post a picture as soon as she wakes up. I’ve had trouble finding any info about it at all but eventually found some more about a vitamin A deficiency which I hate to say makes sense given her eating “preferences” - which changes as of today. but I wonder why those puffs? What are they made of? Will they go away? They are not flesh or tumors. More like tiny white balloons.

 

[kme3388]

Hi there, I am sorry to hear about your parrots growths. Please do take her to the vet to have them examined. It could be anything from warts-cysts. If you can verify that they aren’t pin feathers growing in… the best bet in this case would be a vet.

I hope your parrot is okay, and welcome to the parrot forum. I wish I could be more helpful but being online limits us in medical issues. We can’t see the parrot in person to examine body condition, weight, and look at the growths up close. It wouldn’t be doing the parrot justice.

 

[osklvste60]

Foxy girl. So cute. I was look at my CAG. With a bit

of trickery I got a picture. What at you're describing seems to be at beak and skin join. Bird jaws are different from us. An avian vet is your best vet.

 

[El raquel]

Thank you, such kind responses! When she woke up I was prepared to take a photo and it was gone!! I’m going to keep an eye on it to see if it comes back today. She’s eating and acting normally and I’m going to gently force a better diet on her - I’ve wasted so much time and money in the past trying foods she’d just toss or turn away from and one of those is definitely pellets. She likes cheese and yogurt, peanut but not almond butter, her go to is cooked chicken bones she can crack for the marrow, any kind of meat in small amounts, spaghetti, Napa cabbage occasionally, apple, orange, cherries occasionally. But she dumps them all for black sunflower seeds I give to the pigeons outside.

 

[osklvste60]

Way back 30 years ago (age showing) cheese/yogurt was recommended for CAG's because they suffered from calcium and Vit D deficiency as they aged. That isn't recommended anymore. Not since the earlier 90's. Birds have trouble with lactose and don't digest it. I've heard white cheese but that's controversial. Chicken bones are controversial. Cooked thigh and wing bones have a tentative acceptance. I feed them to mine under observation. She attacks them. Getting a parrot to eat healthy is an ongoing battle. Take the seeds she will eat, grind them into a powder, sprinkle on what ever you want her to eat. Put a few coarse ground on top. She'll taste and nibble to get the good stuff. There are so many tricks and tips to try here. I get my bird to eat healthier by eating it in front of her. I eventually learned to like broccoli, carrots, sqash, and the like. My CAG was recently ill. I had to syringe feed her until reading here I found a way to make her recovery formula into a form she would eat. She did a birdie version of licking the bowl clean. She'll eat her pellets but refuses anything except recovery, mixed w ground pistachio and a bit of almond flour mixed into a paste. Vet said that happens and laughed. No suggestions. Good luck

 

[osklvste60]

It just occurred my CAG would love living with you. The kind of diet you describe is her heaven. She's always begging for cheese and will steal it if I ain't looking. I have to go into another room to eat a grilled cheese sandwich. You'd have add pistachios, cream cheese on toast, warm to the touch blue berry or cherry croissants, donuts, she prefers veggie pasta but will eat spaghetti and prefers grilled chicken over any other meat. Her favorite sunflower seed is giant organic roasted no salt. Second is pecan in the shell.

 

[El raquel]

Hah hah! Both great answers! I do give her pieces of grilled cheese sandwiches- almost any Sandwich, really. I watch her with the chicken bones because the dog does too, and she loves pistachios. And cheese and yogurt which don’t seem to bother her gut.

Grinding and sprinkling what she does like ( chicken bones? Just kidding) is an excellent idea, I’m definitely going to try that..

When I’m in the mood I occasionally make balls from a mix of cooked sweet potato, or carrot, coconut shreds, lots of peanut butter, corn kernels or apple and ( please don’t yell at me) roll them in maple flavored instant oatmeal. I put them in the refrigerator then twist wrap each one in a muffin paper or a piece of parchment paper.
If I make too many I freeze them. She loves to tear up the paper to get to the stuff inside and eats about half of it. But sometimes she’ll reject those too. Can’t get her to touch anything fresh like broccoli or carrot or peppers though she’ll rip up an onion.

But the strange alien puffs under her beak have not returned. Maybe the witch is just trying to scare me.

I WISH THERE WERE PLAY DATES! I’d feed yours anything she wanted, even ice cream.

My new friends at the forum I have another question:

I will eventually be going back and forth to Mexico and am learning how difficult it is to bring a parrot on a plane and into another country. I’m adamant about bringing her with me because for some sick reason I adore her, I’m also terrified to “re-home” her because I can’t imagine anyone else being sensitive to her moods or when and how she wants affection and cuddles. And the thought of foxy being in a home where she wouldn’t be understood or lonely would give me nightmares …

I’d love some advice from anyone who’s traveled internationally with birds lately, if you know what airlines are willing…I wouldn’t put her in cargo and I know I’d need a vets recent assessment but airline rules are changing.

Thanks in advance,
EL

 

[osklvste60]

Don't know about traveling abroad personally. A fellow traveling RN had an Amazon. It was close banded. She took lots of pictures of bird, band. She said thefts of companion parrots wasn't uncommon abroad. She took bottle water. That's all I can remember. Except it is important to check area you are going to for airborne avian disease. Now I am a compulsive reader and hunter of information. I am a retired member of the health care community. I have a thirst for what may effect my pets. What you described can be as simple as an over full crop not uncommon in nesting birds or greedy ones (especially as they age). It can be slow emptying crop. It can be gas fermentation. Caused be even slightly old food or fruit. Not noticeable to humans. The worst is yeast or infection. So watch carefully for return. I take my CAG every where with me except the hospital. So I know how you feel.

 

[texsize61]

Hah hah! Both great answers! I do give her pieces of grilled cheese sandwiches- almost any Sandwich, really. I watch her with the chicken bones because the dog does too, and she loves pistachios. And cheese and yogurt which don’t seem to bother her gut.

Grinding and sprinkling what she does like ( chicken bones? Just kidding) is an excellent idea, I’m definitely going to try that..

When I’m in the mood I occasionally make balls from a mix of cooked sweet potato, or carrot, coconut shreds, lots of peanut butter, corn kernels or apple and ( please don’t yell at me) roll them in maple flavored instant oatmeal. I put them in the refrigerator then twist wrap each one in a muffin paper or a piece of parchment paper.
If I make too many I freeze them. She loves to tear up the paper to get to the stuff inside and eats about half of it. But sometimes she’ll reject those too. Can’t get her to touch anything fresh like broccoli or carrot or peppers though she’ll rip up an onion.

But the strange alien puffs under her beak have not returned. Maybe the witch is just trying to scare me.

I WISH THERE WERE PLAY DATES! I’d feed yours anything she wanted, even ice cream.

My new friends at the forum I have another question:

I will eventually be going back and forth to Mexico and am learning how difficult it is to bring a parrot on a plane and into another country. I’m adamant about bringing her with me because for some sick reason I adore her, I’m also terrified to “re-home” her because I can’t imagine anyone else being sensitive to her moods or when and how she wants affection and cuddles. And the thought of foxy being in a home where she wouldn’t be understood or lonely would give me nightmares …

I’d love some advice from anyone who’s traveled internationally with birds lately, if you know what airlines are willing…I wouldn’t put her in cargo and I know I’d need a vets recent assessment but airline rules are changing.

Thanks in advance,
EL

I’ve never tried to travel internationally with my birds (don’t even have a current passport).
But I think you’re in for a world of difficulties.

For an African grey parrot that is in a restricted category due to its endangered status your going to want a hatch certificate that proves it was captive bred.

I understand you need to have the bird chip ID’d and a veterinarian certificate that the bird healthy.

Even with all that some countries (like the USA) usually require a quarantine period when entering the country.

I wish you good luck but I think it’s an uphill battle.