Return to current Ask Dr. Harris column.
Current issue.
Back issues.
Article index.
Search this site or the Internet:
To be notified each time we post the next free, bimonthly issue, click on graphic below. Note: Your information is not shared.
Essay contest.
Message Center.
Editor's Weblog: Diary of a mad parrot lover.
Bird clubs.
Bird rescue groups.
Avian veterinarians.
Store.
Advertise.
Classifieds.
Contact us.
Parrot index. Read about the different species.
FAQ. How to care for your parrot.
Hazards. How to make your home safe for your bird.
Glossary. From blood feather to psittacosis, learn the lingo.
Mucous and odor from mouth signal serious health problem
My Poncho is a 20-year-old greenwing macaw and I am without means to take her to a vet. She has an extreme amount of mucous running out of her mouth all the time and also has an odor, but otherwise seems healthy. I had her on poultry antibiotics that you give chicks. I saltshakered it onto a peanut butter cracker for almost six weeks. She seemed 100 percent better but now she is back to the same condition. I am very worried, please help me.
-- Regina, rboles25@aol.com
MUCOUS AND ODOR from the mouth are symptoms of a serious health problem. It's a bad idea to give your bird antibiotics without knowing what's causing her problem - and it's impossible to diagnose the underlying cause without a proper physical examination and some laboratory tests.
Please make an appointment for your bird with an avian veterinarian and do not give it any medication for at least five days before the examination. If the veterinarian finds infection, he or she will do a culture to identify the agent and test it against the various medications available for treatment. Antibiotics must be matched to the infection and administered in amounts high enough and long enough to eliminate the infection. Misusing antibiotics can cause resistant strains of bacteria to develop.
ParrotChronicles.com
-------
