My parrot's beak is too long. What's the cause and how to prevent it?

Question

i have a 30 year old Lilac Crowned Amazon parrot. During the past two years, her beak grows very long and to the point that I have to have it trimmed about every five months. It never did this in the previous 28 years and her diet hasn't changed. I am wondering what the cause is and what I can do to prevent her long beak growth. Thank you in advance. Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Female | 30 years old

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

One cause of a sudden overgrowth of the beak in birds is liver problems. I am not sure when the last time that Lila had blood work performed, but that would be where I would recommend that you start. Another cause, given Lila's age, to consider would be arthritis in her jaw. This can be harder to determine depending on the severity of the changes. Sometimes it can be seen by your veterinarian by performing radiographs (x-rays) of the skull, but sometimes a CT scan may be required. I would recommend to start by having Lila evaluated by a veterinarian. They can perform a thorough examination, and see if they can appreciate any pain on manipulation of Lila's jaw. From there, they can perform the diagnostics as outlined above, and may have other recommendations based on their findings. As far as preventing the long beak growth, that will depend on the underlying cause. With cases of liver damage, often the growth can be slowed with treatments for the liver, and with jaw arthritis, birds are often more comfortable and will keep their beak a more appropriate length when the pain is controlled. Both of these treatments would need to be started, and monitored, by your veterinarian. Please do not give Lila any human medications, as many of them can cause harm to our feathered friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and good luck!

My parrot's beak is too long. What's the cause and how to prevent it?

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