Beak problems

[Readingexcalibur]

I posted this on another forum. I am semi worried about my new baby. He is a blue gold macaw. He has a whitish great spot at the center of his bottom beak on both sides. It is soft to the touch and I was worried it could be a cyst or tumor. The other forum mentioned it is normal baby parts, but wanted a second opinion because I am worried. I have attached a photo.

[Readingexcalibur]

May have to click the photo to see what I am talking about. It is cut off on my screen for some reason.

[Pajarita]

I can't really see the beak in the picture you posted and I can't open it either, so this is going to be a comment made blindly and without any real reference except for what you wrote. Baby birds have soft spots in both commisures (where the bottom beak joins the top beak - not on the actual beak itself), all baby birds do (some even have like fat lips there that go into the side of the head and allow the baby to open his beak REAL wide), but they disappear as they get older and this happens when they are still babies so, if yours is already weaned, these spots should not be there.

Now, discoloration in a beak could mean trauma but, normally, it happens on the mandible (top beak) because that's the first place another bird would bite or that they would crash into a wall, the floor or whatever and they are never soft to the touch. It can also mean a fungal infection but, usually, it happens around the edges because something (like soft food) gets between the layers and the moisture acts as a perfect medium for fungus growth - and, although the lesion gets all peely, it's not soft to the touch. Softness means lack of calcium and vitamin D3 but, as far as I know (I've never had a bird with this problem), it's supposed to happen to the entire beak ('rubber beak') and not just spots on either side. There are also beak tumors (like cancer) and infectious diseases that affect the beak, like PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease) and Avian Pox.

Personally, I would take that bird to an avian vet.

[KimberlyAnn]

Here is a resized picture.

But I agree, a visit to a vet is a great idea. What's the red marks around its eye?

[Pajarita]

Uh, that could be fungal... yes, please take that bird to an avian vet!

[marie83]

definitely go to the vets, sooner rather than later as the birds immune system is compromised. no need to go as an emergency though. I tend to agree with pajarita in that it could be fungal

[Readingexcalibur]

Sorry for the late reply. So I brought the bird to an Avian Vet locally. She said that the beak did have "cyst" like growth. She gave me some antiseptic cream to apply twice a day. After 3 days, it seems to be improving.

The red marks are little trauma marks because the pet store had these baby's in the same cage as some finches and cocktails. Why? I don't know.

[Pajarita]

Glad to hear baby is doing better!

[Readingexcalibur]

Thanks! I took him to the vet today because he regurgitated some formula. They took some cultures and found a small gram neg bacterial infection in his crop. Also a little yeast. Got the antibiotics and he is holding down the food no problem.

Seems like no matter how hard I try to sterilize his environment, there is always the chance of infection. This is a learning experience, and a good one at that! Love this little guy!

[Pajarita]

Actually, I don't think that the infections (both fungal and bacterial) are your fault. It sounds to me as if the bird has a depressed immune system (birds with strong immune systems never get fungal infections and almost no bacterial ones) so please keep your eye on it because this is the time when babies that caught ABV from their parents develop symptoms (regurgitation and secondary opportunistic infections are both symptoms of it).