Parakeets are popular household pets, with cheerful attitudes and bright colorations. Like any pet, however, birds come with some drawbacks, which include lice and mites. These insects get into a bird's feathers and live off the bird's blood and dead skin matter.
Features
Parakeets can range in coloration from green, blue and white, to yellow and even pink. They are usually fluffy and clean in appearance. If their feathers are not fluffy, there is a problem.
Mites
Parakeets can contract skin problems and develop a rash and a peeling beak. These issues are sometimes caused by illness, but are more often due to bird mites, which can infect birds the way that lice infect humans.
Symptoms
A parakeet with mites will have a peeling beak and might also over-groom and pluck out its feathers. In some of these cases, mites cause white flaking around a parakeet's nose and mouth.
Bird Mites
Bird mites are microscopic creatures, which specifically infect birds. They suck the blood of their host, which early on leads to itching and discomfort for the parakeet. More complex cases can include the parakeet losing weight.
Treatments
Any parakeet that has mites should be immediately taken to a vet. Vets will commonly prescribe powders like Scatt, or Avian Insect Liquidator, to treat the bird and kill mites. Treat the bird's cage and surrounding environment, as mites spread over the entire area.
Considerations
Mites are like lice, in that they can be spread to other pets, and even humans. If one bird of a group has mites, then all birds should be treated. The same goes for pets and humans who exhibit signs of being affected by these bugs.
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