Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 1/14/2007

Question
Chrys, many thanks for your response.

I think I know what has infected my birds: air sac mites.

No there is nothing visible around her nostrils, looks clean but her righ nostril is a little pink-ish and she seems to be breathing fine but with her beak open slightly (when she's resting). Yesterday she was relaxing on the perch but her eyes were half shut ocassionally and her beak was not fully closed like her male friend's beak was, who was sitting beside her at the time.

She still continues to cough -- sometimes frequently and at other times less frequently. It's like a "tsst tsst tsst" sound when she coughs. Last night I also saw her shaking her head like crazy and she then sneezed like 2 times. She also scratches herself around the nose with her paws and then sometimes sneezes right after scratching.

I'm afraid it looks like her male friend has started to catch it too, I saw him coughing for a good 5 seconds today.

I also saw the 2 budgies sneeze too. The budgies are both sneezing sometimes but not alot. I caught them sneezing when they were both scratching their nose area with their paws and they sneezed about 2 or 3 times each. Haven't noticed them sneeze after that.

I've ordered online some Vetafarm SCATT and S-76. Hopefully they will arrive in 5 days time.

Regarding their diet, I place a bowl of vegetables near their seed tray so they do eat alot of vegetables. Their favorite are peas and sweetcorn as they always finish those first then move onto carrots and green beans. They also love apple.

Answer
Hi again, Khan.

What makes you think your birds have air sac mites?  Are you guessing based on something you read on the internet?  If so, not good.  

If all your birds are "coughing," something I've never heard a parrot do in over 17 years of keeping parrots, perhaps there is something toxic in the air that is affecting them all.  Sneezing is also something most parrots don't do, unless they have something lodged (like a seed hull) in their nostrils/throat.  

Chrys