I recently adopted a rescued 10 year old Yellow Nape Amazonian. She has a beak fungus that presented itself atleast 2 years ago. Her foster mother told me that for the last year the fungus has neither improved nor worsened. It does not affect her much other than it is slightly irritating and she scratches it. The fungus has been treated with Miconazole but without success or improvement. The Miconazole must also burn or taste very badly because she really hates it and flies away at just the sight of the medication. I have read that tea tree oil can be very effective in treating fungus growths. This evening I applied a small amount of tea tree oil to her beak with a paint brush. Does anyone have any advice or experience? Should I continue the tea tree oil application? Should I dilute the oil or mix it with water/lotion/oatmeal/etc? Does anyone know of any other remedies that may be effective? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as quickly as possible.
Thank you.
A two year long fungus sounds nasty. Is he being kept in a clean environment? Did the vet diagnose him? I ask because beak fungus has the same symptoms as burrowing mites have but the treatment for both is different.
If I were you I would pour some GSE on a q-tip and gently wipe the beak with it - for one week, every other day and as after treatment apply (with a q-tip) (after this week) pure vitamin E oil so the beak will regain its strength
It's definitely a fungus. She was diagnosed by a veterinarian at LSU. Other than the beak fungus, she is perfectly healthy. Apparently every now and then she has some irritation above her right nostril. This might be caused by the scratching . Her foster mother says that it sometimes scabs and then heals. One of the problems with using the Miconazole is it's very irritating. It might burn or taste bad. I would think that the vinegar would have the same effect. The tea tree oil did not bother her, but I am having some reports that it could be toxic. Although, in the holistic bird group tea tree oil is listed as an item in the natural medicine bird kit.
About the condition of her environment- at her foster home and at my home her environment is clean and healthy. The condition of her previous home is unknown. It is in that environment that she contracted the fungus. She was going to be euthanized because of it until she was rescued by her foster mother. Her quality of life is great. She is talkative and happy.
GSE is Grapefruit Seed Extract I am sure she is taken care of properly by you and her foster mom, but I just had to ask that question. It is great that you have rescued her. What a cruelty it would have been if she would also have been treated so very wrong (as you described) and also put to sleep. I can tell from your postings you love her
My lovebird had a sick looking beak, we didn't know what was wrong with it and the vet put him under and cleaned the beak up, and he came away looking much better, perhaps if your vet could do a clean up first then the medication might have a chance.
I have a 25-year-old Red Mitred Conure with a fungus on the lower part of his beak. He has had it for about 7 years. It took several years and several vets before it was diagnosed. When it was finally diagnosed, we used the conventional medical treatment for a couple of months, but I discontinued it because it was so toxic and it scared me because he could die. I started using Oreganol (oregano oil) and it has been working, although it is a very slow process. This is a trial and error treatment.
The author of the book "The Cure is in the Kitchen Cupboard" says that oregano oil is an antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, plus a few other antis----. I use it every night to brush my teeth and it has a mild "sting" to it. My bird is a wild caught bird and very independent, so if it burned or stung him, I am sure that he would not allow me to put it on his beak.
Originally, I starting by putting the oregano oil in his water bowl. I figured it would work externally when he put his beak in the water, and internally when he drank the water. I recently stopped putting in his water bowl and now I just rub one drop of the oil directly on his beak. I have also started putting 5 drops of grapeseed extract in his waterbowl.
I realize this is an old thread, but there is very little info out there on this particular issue and I thought I would post a follow up in case someone in the future may find it helpful.
The bird mentioned by the OP is now in may care. (Nothing dastardly, previous owner had a HUGE change in lifestyle that wouldn't suit the bird.) She's doing very well and the fungus, though it persists, is improving. Here are the changes we made.
First - NO SEEDS. Seed husks house fungal spores and generally pose additional challenges for birds at risk.
Secondly - Moved her to a high quality, high potency pelleted died which we supplement with other foods to keep her from growing bored.
Third - We changed vets. I cannot encourage anyone strongly enough to keep asking and keep looking when you are faced with an issue. The vet we started with was very caring, but unwilling to treat anything unless she could specifically identify the type of fungus, eventually referring us to a second university. Unfortunately the options at the university were to hold the bird in at least partial isolation and continually sample her beak attempting to culture the specific fungus. We learned that this process could take as much as 2-3 years - all the while nothing going on to help the bird. A new vet with decades of avian experience had great practical advice and has made all the difference.
Under the advice of the new vet we:
1 - Keep wings clipped. A fungus laden beak is very fragile. Every clumsy landing can be another fracture. One was enough for us.
2 - Keep lower beak trimmed back to allow the most function for eating and climbing. When her upper beak began to break off where the fungus had worked all the way through, the longer her lower beak the less leverage she had.
3 - Discovered that though her weight was good, the fungus was EVERYWHERE. That occasional irritation above her nose was actually the infection working through her sinus cavity and skull. It grew much worse before we intervened It also was manifested in a strange flaking on her feet and was beginning to present as autoimmune, meaning every scab would grow to enormous proportions as her system overreacted. This is why the miconozole would not work. It is only topical and the infection was internalized.
4 - Made the choice to put her on a conventional anti-fungal. There are real risks with that, I know. But the outlook without it was bleak, cutting her lifespan and her impending quality of life dramatically. And, as OP said, she was of good weight, otherwise not sickly, and generally a happy bird. The formulation was titrated very low, given on a regular but not daily basis with scheduled breaks for her own system to catch up.
I won't lie. Getting her to take the medication was distressing in the beginning, but now she willingly accepts it taking full doses without fighting. We don't towel her now or any such thing. Just offer her the syringe and she takes it on her own.
We've been at it for about 18 months now. The results are very encouraging. Her feet are 90% improved. The autoimmune reaction is slowed by 50% or more. Her upper beak had broken off very near her face due to weakening by the fungus and a slight fracture. The fungus has disappeared from that area and we are beginning to see new, clean beak growth. Areas of her head above her sinus cavity carry far less scabbing and new feathers are beginning to grow into good clean skin. Its not over and may take another two years or more to clear totally, but it is steadily improving. Given that she's been living with/fighting this off for nearly 6 years, it is amazing that it had not taken her over long before now. We were very lucky to find a vet who understood the urgency, could advise us medically but also with a very practical here-and-now focus, who was honest about the risks but also frank about all other options.
If you find yourself in this position, don't just take what you are told and hope it is right. Advocate. Do your own research. And find a vet who will work with you, not just talk to you. And follow your gut. You live with your bird. You have every reason to trust that relationship.
If you're reading this because you are in a similar situation I hope it is helpful.
thank you ever so much for this update and great piece of advice, Burmatruex. I am sure it will help and give hope to others having to cope with birds carrying persistent fungus. And, something else: I find this Yellow Nape Amazonian has been really lucky having come to your home
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It also was manifested in a strange flaking on her feet and was beginning to present as autoimmune, meaning every scab would grow to enormous proportions as her system overreacted. This is why the miconozole would not work. It is only topical and the infection was internalized.