Tyson'sMom Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Tyson the CAG came to live with me in mid-Feb of this year (2013). He's my first parrot since the TAG I had in the late eighties. He had been in at least two homes before he came to me. He's 8 years old. When I first got him, the only "different" thing I noticed about him physically was that he plucks his upper neck and a couple of chunks on his wings (shoulders). After a few weeks, I noticed the two mandibles of Tyson's beak were starting to cross, with the lower mandible getting pretty long, since the tip wasn't in contact with his upper beak. (BTW feel free to correct me if "mandible" isn't the right word!") I finally took him to the vet a couple of days ago, thinking he just needed a beak trim. According to the previous owner, Tyson hadn't seen a vet since 2010! And it wasn't an avian vet. The previous owner owned and bred other large parrots, now I think she trimmed Tyson's beak herself just before I bought him, so I wouldn't notice the problem. Right away my vet noticed Tyson's beak has some signs of deformity from a long time ago. His lower mandible is wider than normal, and is "dented" on his right side, near the "root" of the beak. There's even a notch there. His upper beak has a bump that looks like at one time it was either cut way too short or broken off. Tyson holds his lower "jaw" crookedly to one side, the vet thinks this is due to either muscle/tendon damage or habit caused by the shape of the beak. My vet said that in over 10 years in avian practice she has never seen a case like Tyson's! She took photos and plans on consulting with other vets online, to figure out the best way to correct or minimize the problem. Then she spent about half an hour carefully grinding Tyson's lower beak. She couldn't do as much on the right (dented) side because the beak is thinner there. She told me she's not sure what could cause this deformity because it's one-sided, but she suspects trauma or a viral infection. Now the beak is not perfect, but it's a lot better and Tyson is able to close his bill properly - though he still holds the lower beak a bit to one side. I've been told to give him plenty of things to chew, like nuts, sticks with bark etc. to try to strengthen the weaker muscles on one side of his beak. The vet wants me to take him in again in 2 weeks so they can see how he's doing and if more shaping is needed. I was also told that they may have to wire Tyson's beak to get it back into shape, like braces on a person's teeth. I wonder if anyone else here has had similar issues with their bird? How did things turn out and did it take a long time to fix the problem? Here's Tyson getting his cuddles last night. You can see the notch (vertical line) in his lower bill near the "root". Note that his lower bill tip is overlapping the upper bill a bit, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffNOK Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 I wish you the best with Tyson's beak. I have no experience with this, but hopefully the vet will know what to do. He is really a cute little guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 No experience here either! Tyson looks like a sweetheart though. Good luck and God bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Your vet knows best how to deal with this situation and he along with his colleagues will find a way to help Tyson, please keep us updated when you find out something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted July 8, 2013 Share Posted July 8, 2013 Oh and by the way, that is one precious picture of Tyson getting some cuddles, what a sweetheart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyson'sMom Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Thanks everyone! I plan to come back to this thread and post any updates. I hope it will be informative and useful if anyone else encounters "beak alignment" problems in the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Your Vet sounds spot on, it is best to make corrections slowly to avoid having a sore beak and not eating well. I have seen crossed beak before -not too uncommon really. It should respond well to the therapy your Vet is providing. What a sweety he looks to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Cute photo. It's wonderful you are getting the professional care he needs for that beak alignment issue. It sounds like you have a wonderful avian vet that knows others to consult with on this very rare beak issue. I am looking forward to the updates on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 LOVED the pics of your baby. It is obvious from the pics your bird has an " underbite", and needs correction. Brases for children, but not sure what is the best for correction for a bird. Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 I love the picture. Nothing cuter than a cuddle bug Grey. I will be watching for updates on the beak. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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