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Ear problem in a macaw

Dear Dr. Speer, I wrote to you here some time back about an ear problem with our Macaw. After your response, we took her to an avian vet in Guadalajara, she was X-rayed and the results showed a healed (off-set) old fracture of the lower mandible. That was from the head injury she suffered that I mentioned the first time I wrote. She eats fine, looks good, but does not have normal beak strength (can’t crack nuts anymore) or open her beak as wide as before. She has VERY small ear canals, and sometimes they are completely closed.

Sometimes they seem plugged with a waxy secretion that I try to gently massage out. She frequently makes “yawning” motions with her beak as if trying to “pop” her ears, unsuccessfully it seems. Should I be concerned about the very small ear canals, and what seems to be a buildup of some substance? The vet she saw didn’t seem concerned about the small size of the ear canals.

It sounds like the primary issue here is regarding your bird’s ability to prehend food and eat properly, which seems to be impaired, but still adequate for the needs of your bird. If it is true that there is no infection or persistent inflammatory problem underlying this diagnosis, periodic cleaning of the ear canals should there be discomfort or buildup of materials may be all that is needed.

About Brian Speer, DVM

Avian veterinarian Dr. Brian Speer was raised in a small town on California’s coast. He received his BS in Biology from California Polytechnic State University in 1978, and his DVM degree from the University of California at Davis in 1983.

An active member of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV), Dr. Speer is a much sought after guest speaker and has presented at numerous conferences in the avicultural and zoological communities both within the United States and abroad. He is well published in the AAV annual proceedings, has served as guest editor for the journal Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, the Veterinary Clinics of North America, and authored chapters in several recent veterinary medical texts on pet bird, avicultural and ratite medical topics. In 1995 he co-authored the extensive avicultural reference, The Large Macaws, and helped to co-author Birds for Dummies in 1999.

Since 1989, Dr, Speer has run a “bird’s only” practice in the San Francisco Bay area and is the President and Director of The Medical Center for Birds. He is a consultant for The Veterinary Information Network (Avian Medical Boards) and the Maui Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Lafeber award for excellence in private practice of avian medicine and surgery and in 2006, was named Speaker of the Year for the North American Veterinary Conference.