Zebra finch injury and beak trimming

[camorrow]

About a month ago I'd been on vacation and when I returned I found one of my female zebras had done something a bit bizarre (or so it seems to me). Somehow she had managed to get her beak stuck in her skin. I've had ongoing issues with both of my females overgrooming and ending up with some baldish patches. I assume she was plucking at herself on her back above the wing with her head turned, and somehow pierced her skin with her beak. When I saw it, her head was stuck in a turned position and her beak was firmly embedded in her skin. The skin itself was purplish and angry/bruised looking. Unfortunately I can't remember if it was top or bottom beak that was stuck.

I don't know exactly how long she'd been like that, as I'd been away for about 10 days. I caught her and used some nail clippers to trim both her beak and the bit of dried skin away to get her free. It was a bit of a trial by fire, so to speak, since I've never needed to do anything medical to my birds. I honestly wasn't sure she was going to survive, since I wasn't sure how long she'd been without adequate food or water plus the stress and trauma to the body, but she seemed to recover well.

She still seems a bit "slim" or light compared to the others, and her feathers are in a bit of a rough state - patchy and bald spots and tufts sticking out in weird directions - but I've been assuming that's just her body and feathers trying to recover and regrow (aside from the self-plucking that I'm sure she's still doing). And her beak had gotten a bit out of sorts. The bottom was longer than the top and they'd crossed at the tip.

I did another beak trim to try and even it back out last night, but I'm cautious to trim too much and cause a bigger problem where she can't eat. It's still not perfect - the bottom seems a little wide in comparison to normal and the alignment isn't spot on with the upper beak kicking a little to the left.

I'm wondering if there's more I should do to try and help her recover or if there's a good schedule to follow to try and reshape the beak in small amounts without overdoing it (kind of like slowly trimming a dog's overgrown nails back to avoid "quicking" them).

Nutrition has been a real battle with this batch of zebras, as they will really only eat a few types of seeds and very select types of veggies and no fruit. And over the last month or so they haven't been that interested in their usual produce or egg offerings.

[cindy]

first diet wise fruit is mostly sugar and water so no worries most finches do not eat fruit... veggies like broccoli, carrot shredded finely, kale romaine have better nutritional values...Chitted/sprouted seed has 3 times the food value than plain seed.

If not using pellets along with seed I would recommend AviVita Gold add as directed to greens and soft foods... Egg food should be used sparingly if not molting or feeding young... once a week is good.

Vitamins in water are typically not recommended due to it dilutes the supplement and salivia, particles of food being deposited in the water and the combo of those with vitamins can grow bacteria 100 fold in 24 hours... so adding a powdered supplement to a small amount of soft food is a more direct way to deliver them.

as far as the wound, get a bottle of chlorhexidine or hibiclens 4% (drug store) wash the area well once or twice a day if still an issue... it will help keep the staph, bacteria down as the bird heals.

Overgrowth of beaks can be lack of nutrition, disease/virus, internal parasites, liver not functioning well. Self mutilation or plucking their own feathers can be giardia, internal parasites, insufficient nutrition, lack of certain vitamins can cause skin to be dry and itchy. Giardia can also cause birds to "itch". Parasites can take nutrition from the bird...causing malnutrition/lack of nutrients being absorbed.

how are the dropping? Seeing a lot of white????

I have seen others post pictures of birds getting beaks stuck in their own skin.... rare but it happens

[lovezebs]

cindy

Cindy, so glad to see you back with us. Everyone was worried about you. How did you weather Irma? Is everyone alright?

[cindy]

cindy

Cindy, so glad to see you back with us. Everyone was worried about you. How did you weather Irma? Is everyone alright?

It was frightening, we are all ok. We were in the direct path of the eye at one point but it shifted to the east more, we had power until the day after but it was not off long. Thank you for asking and your concern.

[Babs _Owner]

cindy

Glad to see you and your family safe & sound. Be well Cindy.