Birds are very different from humans, they have body parts that humans don’t have and these body parts need to be maintained for the bird to maintain good health, the cere included.
Cere hypertrophy means that something is going on with your bird
This article is a look at all you need to know about budgie cere hypertrophy
Table of Contents
Budgie cere hypertrophy:
Hypertrophy is described as the enlargement of an organ or tissue in the body as a result of the increase of cells.
A bird’s cere is located above the bird’s beak and contains specialized skin tissue. This part of the bird’s body is usually flat if the bird is a male and is usually slightly raised if the bird is a female.
If the bird’s cere looks larger than usual, then the bird has some hypertrophy. If your bird has this condition then this may be why:
Reproducing female:
If your female budgie’s cere is changing color then your bird has likely recently become reproductively active. It may also increase in size.
There will be no change in a male budgies cere when he becomes reproductively active but your female budgies cere will change if she becomes reproductively active
Your female budgies cere will become overgrown if its body is overproducing the reproductive hormone estrogen.
The cere will remain overgrown if the bird keeps producing too much estrogen over a long period of time.
This situation can also happen if your bird’s environment triggers the bird to want to reproduce.
What to do:
You can remedy this by keeping the bird from wanting to breed by changing its environment.
Do this by removing any nesting opportunities in the environment and by keeping the bird busy and distracted by giving it toys.
Also, make sure that the bird is getting enough vitamin A in its diet. Foods that contain this mineral include red and orange vegetables and leafy greens.
Once you’ve changed your bird’s environment you can remove the excess growth from the bird’s cere. Only do this after your vet has demonstrated how to remove the excess cere.
You would need to use an oil that is non-toxic to your bird when doing this. Let this oil soak onto your birds cere and gently remove the excess cere.
If the bird’s excess cere is not removed it can block the bird’s nostril or grow into the bird’s face
Tumor:
If your male bird has a bit of an overgrowth, if the cere is brown and crusty, then the bird may have a testicular tumor.
The ceres of male budgies are usually blue and flat so if you see any discoloration, a texture change or any inflammation on your male budgies cere then a testicular tumor may be the issue.
What to do:
This needs to be dealt with by the vet, an avian vet if possible, so making an appointment at the vet and having your bird seen is a must.
Your vet will likely not surgically remove the tumor, they will likely rather treat your bird’s pain and symptoms
Diet issue:
There is a type of budgie hypertrophy that develops in both female and male budgies and it has to do with a vitamin deficiency.
A vitamin A deficiency can also cause your birds cere, whether male or female, to overgrow
What to do:
It is recommended that you take your bird to the vet for an assessment and for them to explain to you how to remove the excess growth on the cere.
You can do this on your own in the future once the vet has explained how to do this. Feeding your bird foods that are rich in vitamin A will help your bird recover.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Budgie Cere Overgrowth, Why Is My Budgie’s Beak Dry?, How To Tell If Birds Are Bonded To Each Other, How To Know If A Parrot Is Angry, Why Are My Bird’s Feathers Turning Grey?, Cockatiel Growth On Side Of Beak, Black Feather Fungus, Black Spots On Cockatiel Feathers, Conure Feathers Turning Black