# sneezing/redness around nostrils...



## digbiesmommy (Sep 9, 2012)

so its been getting a bit colder in this neck of the US im from pa, and like i said definitly much cooler than it was... im actually getting my furnace fixed for the next week, but it hasnt been nearly cold enough to have it on... but my 3 month old tiel has been sneezing alot... i think he is molting b.,c he has been rather dusty... and he is also scratching himself a bit... i didnt want to spray with water due to the change of weather... i dont wanna make him too cold if its a respiratory issue... he refuses to get a bath in a bowl.. and i dont want to stress him out and put him in a sink or tub... and there is a tiny bit of redness in his nose holes.... im guessing it has a name but im not sure of it... should i maybe take him to the vet? or is this a common thing during changes in seasons? i have an air purifier... also house is totally smoke free... i dont know what could have caused it if it is a respiratory issue... i sure hope not... but then again he didnt come from the best environment.... anyh advice? and also his diet is good... sunseed the GOOD stuff.. lots of broccoli... carrots... a peice of fruit every other day... you guys are tough critics so i dunno if ull agree with the diet... i have to wait till i get paid to get some pellets... but maybe when i get them maybe i could try a vitamin as well??


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

His nares can get red when the air dried out or something is irritating them like too much dust. I would bathe him in the bathroom and make sure that it's a warm area and make sure that he is completely dry and warm to avoid him getting a cold. He will only chill and get sick if he's wet and you leave him in a cold area to catch drafts. I personally take my tiels into the shower with me. That way their in a warm space with steam and I leave them in there until they are completely dry.


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## digbiesmommy (Sep 9, 2012)

lol i dont know if he would go for a shower with me.... i just warmed him up to my hands totally... he still trys to bite them from time to time....although i will try to get him in some warm water somehow... maybe i can try to bring him in after i get one... any pointers on how to get him to like my hands?? its hit and miss really... sometimes he will let me love him and pet him.. and others he makes a meal of my fingers.. lol. atleast hes coming out of the cage easily.... it used to take hours.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

One easy way to support his respiratory health is by adding extra vitamin A to his diet. Multivitamins are not generally a good idea to give birds, because they contain synthetic forms of the vitamins and are very easy to overdose. But, a good way to give natural vitamin A to a bird is to get some beta carotene capsules at a health food store. Beta carotene is metabolized into the organic form of vitamin A by the liver, so it's easily absorbed and cannot be overdosed; any excess will simply be excreted in a harmless form. 

I use this type of supplementation for my elderly bird with allergies. I have this kind of capsules: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VV7WI/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00. What I do is lightly mist a piece of millet spray with water, then open up a capsule and sprinkle it onto the millet so it will stick. Sunny eats the millet with the carotene on it and has no idea there's anything unusual about it.  You can also put it on veggies, or other kinds of seed. 

With this type of symptom, you'll want to keep a close eye out for other signs of illness. It sounds like most likely this is a seasonal irritation thing, especially with the dry weather. However, respiratory illness in birds can become very serious very quickly. If you see any signs of discharge around the nostrils, or change in eating habits, droppings, or energy levels, then it's time for a vet visit ASAP.


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## digbiesmommy (Sep 9, 2012)

thank u so much, i really appreciate the info, i will definitly get him those vitamins asap. i havent noticed any discharge at all... like a said just a little redness... and it went away after his little episode. i was petting him earlier and afterwards i noticed my finger is almost like... powdery? is this a sign of possible molting? im kind of new to the smaller birds so i dont know how often they go through that... hes preening alot as well... he hasnt been losing feathers or anything... but maybe its about to begin? i know i have to get him in a bath asap.. hes such a grouch sometimes its hard to persuade him into good things let alone something he is afraid of. we are all having a bit of an allergy outbreak the past week... my dog also has really bad allergies... and mine are terrible this time of year.. so we are all sneezing almost in sync. im definitly going to have to look into an avian vet in my area just incase it gets any worse. my dog has alot of health problems im still paying a 2000$ bill that they agreed to give me a payment arrangement on... "not like they had much of a choice" but im curious... are avain vets expensive typically? i used to have a bearded dragon and walking into a reptile vet was about 300$... so im afraid to find out what it will cost to get my tiel seen if it turns out to be an infection of some sort... i appreciate u guys helping me alot. im new to this site, so excuse the new threads, im still new to figuring out all of this forum stuff.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

yeah its getting chilly here and fast! ive noticed mine have some redder nostrils lately. its been pretty dry last few weeks compared to how it had been all summer. im just a tad north-east of you. so i think its a combination of drier air, cooling temps, and molting  keep watch over it, the vitamin A enigma mentioned will help out


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

The cost of an avian vet depends on the vet and the region. In the past it's cost me about $100 to get my birds treated for a respiratory infection, but it may be more than that at other practices. It's a good idea to try to budget some money to save for vet visits when you can, because animals have a way of getting sick when we can afford it the least. Are you familiar with Care Credit? This might be worth reading: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32918

Cockatiels are very dusty birds, and constantly produce a fine powder to coat and seal their feathers. Chances are that's what was on your fingers after you were petting him. But, too much of their own dust can definitely be irritating to them, which is why bathing is so important. Here's some info on techniques to get a reluctant bird to bathe: http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=32556


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Hi! I live in Pittsburgh. We're sort of neighbors.  (And I have friends who live in Apollo.) I haven't put the heat on yet in my house yet either but am still misting my tiel and he has been doing fine. I just make sure to keep him out of a draft when he's drying etc. 

Also, my tiel's nares get red sometimes when the air is dry. I bought him a little water vaporizer like you put in a baby's room. In lieu of that you can boil some water, but obviously make sure your tiel is in a safe place. Also, I have an avian vet that I love if you want to drive into Pittsburgh for a vet check.


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## digbiesmommy (Sep 9, 2012)

thats awesome! i didnt expect to find anyone so close to us on this site! i would love to get the info on ur vet... i had a bird named sunny when i was growing up.. he was the best parakeet in the world... so your name brought back alot of great memories! the only reason i was worried about the cost of the visits is b.c i have already used care credit twice and i am still paying on one... my dog has urinary stones, and an allergy to pretty much all dog food... so the diagnosis was pretty expensive... he went through about 3000$ worth of testing... and they still arent very clear on what is causing the issue... so im pretty much up to my ears in vet debt... i was just curious... if it came down to taking him i would pull money from my emergency fund and make sure he would get the care he needs. it has been clearing up over the last few days... not any visible redness, and he hasn't been sneezing really at all. still have yet to give him a bath... tried putting a mirror in the bottom of the bowl... he is just so evasive when it comes to the entire thing lol. so i will try again today... maybe i will try and get him in the shower today... SUNNYSMOM are u on the market for a new tiel???? im not sure how close u are to pittsburgh mills mall.. but at the petland inside the mall they have the cutest little grey pied... hes ALL ALONE, and there are no tops on thier cages b.c they clip thier wings so far down they are unable to fly away... but i literally yelled at like 10 different ppl for shoving thier fingers in his face... poor thing looked like he was going to have a heart attack... i wanted to get him but my landlord wont allow anymore pets...


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

I will PM you.  And the story about the tiel makes me so sad......


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