eyes

[rierie]

i know as they get older their eyes change.. but around charlies eye not the eye itself. in the white part.. charlie has what looks like very fine yellow powder....

 

He is now 8 months old.... is this normal, because I know his eye colloring should be changing soon. but i thought it was the iris itself that yellowed. this is outside the eye around the white part... looks almost like a dust....

 

I thought maybe it was an infection, but it isnt a mucus but it almost looks as if it is bruised around the eye.

 

I have a call into to vet waiting for call back.

[Dave007]

The pupil is the eye ball ( black) and always stays black.

The white area around the eye ball is called the iris

 

It's the iris that changes color as time goes on

from almost black to the final color which is a white/yellow tinge. The final color happens in an adult bird, starting at the age of approx 5 yrs and older.Much older than an 8 mt old bird.

Guesses here concerning your situation would not really help you so it's important that you have the bird's eyes examined now to check the situation out and make sure it's an avian vet who would be familar with that.

[rierie]

thanks for replying Dave, but it isnt they eye itself it is the white ring around the eye..

 

My husband looked at it a few minuetes ago and thinks maybe he fell and bruised it... I will keep an eye (no pun intended) on it. But I think he might be right I know I heard him skretch yesterday and ask Bob what was wrong with charlie and we both looked up and he was climbing out of his cage off the floor so maybe he fell...

 

If it isnt looking better by tomorrow i will take him to the vet.. do you know how long it takes for a bruise to heal of them?

[Dave007]

I know--I was referring to the white area which changes color. You said it was yellow but it shouldn't be yellow yet. That happens in an aduld bird only. The pupil will always remain black for it's life. If this is happening in both eyes ( turning yellow) it should be checked out esopecially since the bird is only 8 mts old.

If it's only happening in one eye, there's a chance of slight infection, irritation or a slight bruising.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/03/17 19:03

[rierie]

i am sorry i missed typed what i meant... it is not the iris or the pupil at all. But the white ring around the eye itself... but a fine looking yellow around the side of it..that has a yellow tint, almost like a fine yellow chalk look to it...

 

I talked to the vet and he said if it doesnt look better in a couple days to bring him in or if it gets worse to bring him in immediately

[Dave007]

ok, good luck! here's winking at you;)

[rierie]

thought you might like to know that charlies eye looks fine today.. yellowing is all gone.... he must have just bruised it slightly.... thanks

[judygram]

Thanks for letting us know about Charlie, he must have bruised himself.

[ranaz]

By the way, what is the white powder that i always find on the skin around the eyes?

 

{Nature-00020095}

[Dave007]

That just may be residue dander that floats in the air and lands on the body. We can't answer a question like that cause we can't see it and your description may not be what you think it is. I know that the so called powder isn't in the eye because a bird can't put up with that. So, if you think that it's serious, check with your vet. Our answers will be only guesses and guesses may lead to answers that don't apply.

[ranaz]

no its around the nose area like small particles of dust, whever he seems to clean his feathers i can see it

[Dave007]

Try to picture this----a bird is vigorously cleaning feathers which have dander on them ( you call it dust)--the dander is put into the air just like dust is. The dander lands on different parts of the body. The bird eventually cleans the nose area off. The area then has no residue on it. The next time the bird cleans the feathers, the same thing happens. The dander doesn't fly around until the bird starts the cleaning all over again.

[ranaz]

Thanks for the explanation Dave, you always have the right answers. One more question: How often should I mist the bird? I give him a shower once a week, and sometimes he wahes himself (water dish), weather here is somehow humid, we are not using Air conditioner yet, temperatute is a nice 24 degrees C.

I am not sure if I should mist him, because he doesnt really like it....

 

{Nature-00020095}{Nature-00020097}

[Dave007]

If he willingly goes in the shower, misting doesn't need to be done constantly. Showers will thoroughly clean a bird as long as the bird lets the water into the areas that aren't waterproof. Misting is basically done for 2 reasons--cleaning off feathers and trying to spray very dry skin on a bird but even with misting, if a bird doesn't open up it's feathers, the misting water and the shower water will just run off the bird's body. They bathe in the dishes cause nature tells them to. A bird may be given a complete successful bath, put back into the cage and will immediately go to a bowl and try to bathe so that has nothing to do with cleaning itself.

It's good that you have humidity. In the wild, they live in humidity. A big problem that periodically occurs with a bird who is in a very dry area is very dry skin which can lead to over preening which can lead to plucking or chewing feathers.

Spraying may need to be done when you're appling a spraying product though. Many greys don't like bathing, misting, showers but it has to be done periodically and the bird is simply gonna have to put up with it and a person has to simply put up with the squawking and the bird's attempts to nip.

PS--just don't spray the face. They don't like that and it isn't necessary. They clean their own face constantly in drinking water.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/03/21 18:17