# Returning User with Questions



## BirbleNerd (Sep 14, 2017)

Hey everyone!

I was a member back in 2014-2015 under the username "Koomori" (which can be deleted by admins as I can no longer access that account). I dropped off the face of the planet because my college course work on top of my regular job just got to be too much to handle and I literally couldn't spare any time between school and job and then (to make matters worse) the e-mail that I had attached to my accounts got hacked so I had to have google obliterate my email completely (so I can't recover my password or anything). 

Anyway it is good to be back now that I'm finished with school, moved to part-time work and I'll have time to post again. A bit of background about my pigeon before I get to my questions:

Archimedes is an adult (around 4 or 5 years old) King Pigeon (purebred) that was rescued from a release somewhere during 2013. He has spent the last 3 years in my care and is never around other birds at all. I take him outside regularly (2-3 hours a day depending on the weather) but he is seldom ever in contact with other humans or birds. We were living in an upstairs apartment with ample light and air but we have since moved into a basement apartment where the air quality is kinda crappy and the windows are too small to let much light in (hence why I try to get him outside as often as possible). He has just concluded Baytrill treatments for an infected feather follicle and has been off meds for 2 days now and is acting fine. 

He eats great, he is active and not lethargic at all, his breath is a little stinky but the color of the inside of his mouth looks normal and healthy. He does have a small growth on his beak but it has been there for years (ever since I took him in) and the growth seems to be remaining the same size and is the same color of his beak. 

Here are my questions: His cere is looking kinda brownish and crusty. How do I get it back to the nice powdery white it once was? Would a UV light help? I never needed one before since in our last home we had a nice open aviary but I noticed that since we moved, his cere has darkened and looks kinda rough. The Baytrill didn't help with his cere at all so I am doubting he has an infection and I am also doubting it is a disease because he is never exposed to anything where he could contract one. 

I am forced to assume that his cere is in a bad way due to a lack of vitamins or UV exposure. Is this the right thing to assume? Can anyone give me tips on keeping his cere healthy looking?

He has a vert appointment on Monday the 25th to follow up on his infection and I will be buying him a UV light ASAP (this weekend even if I can) but will a UV light melt a plastic lamp shade? I have a task lamp that is 26 watts and the UV light is 26 watts but will it melt the plastic lamp shade?

If you'd like pictures, he has his own Instagram and there are close-ups of his head on there so you'll be able to see the beak bump and the cere in great detail. 

Archimedes on Instagram

Thanks in advance for any help and advice you all give. I'll update this thread as folks reply and of course, after his doctor's visit on the 25th. It's good to be back!!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Lovely bird! Cere looks fine to me.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The bird is like 4 or 5 years old. The cere looks awful. cwebster, it should be white.
That is an indication of illness. But what is wrong I don't know.
The Chevita site says gray wattle indicates Infectious Catarrh, Ornithosis, Trichomoniasis (canker). Another site says brown means Chlamydia. And a third said canker.


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## BirbleNerd (Sep 14, 2017)

Well, I know it isn't healthy and that's why he is going to the vet (earliest I can get him in is the 25th) but I'm hesitant to speculate _what_ is wrong, I'm more interested in being advised on supportive care. To be honest, I really don't know how he'd even contract anything. Like I said in my initial post; he is never around other birds and he is kept very clean. 

Does anyone know of anything I can do to help him in the meantime?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he isn't showing other symptoms, kind of hard to figure out what is wrong. Some things they don't need to pick up from other birds.


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## BirbleNerd (Sep 14, 2017)

That's true. I'm still willing to bet that his crusty beaky snoot is a product of the environment too. The air quality in this basement apartment really sucks and he doesn't have big, open windows anymore. 

He's really not showing any symptoms though. No lesions, no eye crust, no smelly poops, poops are normal actually and he's eating good (actually he's a tad on the chubby side). He is acting fine too. I guess the move caused him some stress and the lack of good air and proper lighting mixed with a small infection could have done it? 

I'm adding more greens to his diet, pellets and cutting back on the peanuts. I'm going to dose his water with some garlic oil (0.1 ml sound good for a single pigeon in about 4oz of water?) and get him a UV light tonight. 

I'm just really hoping the light won't melt my lamp shade. I only have a lamp post with a plastic shade. (/ω＼*)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Usually people use lamps made for lights like that. I wouldn't use it with a plastic shade. 
Where is the lamp? The UV light should be over the cage or where he spends time.
The change in windows would maybe affect his mood, but even with the large windows you had before, he wasn't getting the rays of the sun he needs through window glass or screens. I'm sure just the sun shining in through the windows did make him feel better, but the rays he needs for things like vit D3 don't pass through window glass or screen.


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## BirbleNerd (Sep 14, 2017)

Damn. But I expected as much. I had a proper lamp but it shorted out and I was kinda hoping since my current lamphad the same max wattage it'd work but of course the shade is plastic. I'll just buy a new lamp (of course this is the week student loand decides to garnish my wages) in entirety. But I was only willing to blame the environment because I didn't see any change until after we moved. 

Ah well. He's still going back to the vet anyway so hopefully I won't get someone who will just shrug it off. I've been having trouble finding a vet that knows anything about pigeons. I figure they'll do cultures so I can rule out diseases.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

These lights work great for that and you can hang them where ever you want. 

https://www.chewy.com/flukers-ceram...dUcJYDJkKnadNzi-jcxoC2Q4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## BirbleNerd (Sep 14, 2017)

Woohoo! And I save 20% today for ordering! That's waaaay affordable, thanks! I'm also going to get my little man some vitamins from Foy's. 

Thanks for the help, I'll update this again either by reply or after his vet.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Was curious so looked up cere color changes. Found this.
http://www.melbournebirdvet.com/visible-indicators-of-health.aspx
Hope tour bird stays healthy and happy!


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## wabirdnerd (Oct 12, 2016)

For the sake of your own health and the bird's, it's not a bad idea to buy a decent quality air filter for your place. It might not fix his cere problem but it won't hurt it either. Basement apartments are notorious for dust and other particulates in the air.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

wabirdnerd said:


> For the sake of your own health and the bird's, it's not a bad idea to buy a decent quality air filter for your place. It might not fix his cere problem but it won't hurt it either. Basement apartments are notorious for dust and other particulates in the air.


Good point^


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## YaSin11 (Jul 23, 2009)

BirbleNerd said:


> Archimedes on Instagram
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help and advice you all give. I'll update this thread as folks reply and of course, after his doctor's visit on the 25th. It's good to be back!!


 Nice Insta.

Wish you good luck with the vet appointment.


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