Dr. Brian L. Speer
The beak of a bird is a tool with many features. It's a weapon that can put a dent in any enemy or damage the relationship with a friend. It can be a delicate tool for feeding a newly hatched chick or for the precise adjustment of feathers while grooming. With their beaks, birds can pick a lock, crush a walnut or peel the skin off a grape.
Beak shapes and sizes vary widely, depending mostly on the kind of food a certain species eats. The short, straight bill of canaries and other finches is ideal for plucking out seeds, grubs and other edibles. Birds of the parrot family -- including budgies, cockatiels and the larger parrots such as macaws -- are known as "hookbills" because of the shape and function of their beaks.
At its most basic, the beaks on our pet parrots consist of two hard structures, the upper and lower mandibles, along with an amazingly agile and strong tongue.
The beaks of most parrots are remarkably well-designed for one of their most important tasks: cracking, crushing, prying or otherwise destroying the protective coatings around many of the foods they like to eat. Like everything else on a creature designed for flight, the beak is surprisingly lightweight considering its strength -- a hard shell of constantly growing material (similar to that found in antlers) placed over a hollow bony structure. (If a beak were made of solid bone, its weight would probably force a bird to spend his life on the ground, and on his nose.)
Lightweight it may be, but the hookbill's beak is also very strong. Although a person would need a hammer or nutcracker to get through hard shells to a nut's meat, a bird needs only his beak -- and perhaps a foot to hold the nut in place. A parrot will rotate the seed to find the seam with his tongue, apply pressure to crack it at this weak spot, and then rotate it again to slide the meat free -- all in a few seconds.
A parrot has such strength in his beak that owners are often surprised to see even the bars of a metal cage fall victim. Birds have been known to pick off the welds holding bars together -- and sometimes get lead or zinc poisoning as a result -- or even snap the bars themselves. That's why a cheap cage with shoddy construction will turn out to be no bargain when faced with the destructive abilities of a bird.
Contrary to advice that still can be found in books or on the Internet, beak trims should not be a part of routine health maintenance for birds. Although beaks constantly grow at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per year, depending on the species, the beak of a healthy bird will remain at a healthy length with normal chewing activities.
Overgrowth of the beak is frequently a sign of illness, such as liver disease or malnutrition. Any bird whose beak seems to be too long needs to see a veterinarian expert in avian medicine to determine the cause of the problem and to treat it accordingly.
Using those beaks often is essential to both the physical and emotional well-being of birds. Even finches and canaries will have better beak health if you provide cuttlebone or another hard material for them to work with their beaks while in their cages. As a caring bird-keeper, be sure you're doing more for your bird's beak than just admiring its amazing form and function. Provide your pet bird with lots of things to chew on -- an unending variety of toys and perches meant to be gleefully destroyed.
Dr. Brian L. Speer, a board-certified avian veterinarian, wrote "Birds for Dummies" with the PetConnection's Gina Spadafori.
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Q&A
Can a mix-breed's
size be predicted?
Q: We just got a great puppy from our local shelter. We love this dog, but we're really hoping he doesn't get too big. The shelter guessed he was a Chihuahua mixed with terrier, so I'm hoping that's true to keep the size small. Is there any way to know for sure? We're keeping him, regardless!
A: Guessing the adult size of a puppy of unknown origins is a tricky business, to say the least. Many experienced shelter workers and more than a few veterinarians are pretty good at it, but no guarantees exist.
As you've already guessed, if you have an idea of what breeds went into the mix, you can guess how large the pup will end up. The problem is, some of these youngsters are so truly mixed up that it's anyone's guess as to what went into the genetic blender. However, you'll be needing to take your new puppy to your veterinarian anyway. So while you're there, ask for the veterinarian's and staff's best guesses on what breeds are in your puppy's background. If you want to up the odds of knowing, ask while you're there for one of the new tests that sort out the DNA and come up with an answer on the breeds that went into your dog's mix. Though they don't always seem to work every time, the tests can provide some answers in many cases.
The other way to predict a puppy's adult size is to look at the paws, because big dogs start out with relatively big puppy paws.
Nothing is foolproof, though. In fact, a friend of mine -- who's a well-regarded expert on dogs -- once adopted a puppy from one of the nation's best-known shelters, where the staff sees enough puppies to be pretty educated about how they might turn out.
My friend and the shelter staff put their heads together and guessed the pup for a terrier mix, and figured an adult size of 30 to 40 pounds. That little puppy grew up to be a 90-pound tank of a dog. So much for expertise! -- Gina Spadafori
THE BUZZ
Panting the answer
when a dog's too hot
-- Compared to their owners, dogs have very few sweat glands. There are some in the paw pads, so dogs do sweat from their feet and from other relatively less furry regions of their bodies. But the primary way dogs cool off is by panting. Panting is very rapid, shallow breathing that enhances the evaporation of water from the tongue, mouth and upper respiratory tract. Evaporation dissipates heat as water vapor. Panting can reach frequencies of 300 to 400 breaths per minute (the normal canine breathing rate is 30 to 40 breaths per minute). Yet it requires surprisingly little effort. Because of the natural elasticity of the lungs and airways, panting does not expend much energy, nor does it create additional heat.
-- Pet care services in the U.S. will grow to a value of $34 billion in 2013. The pet care services market was $23 billion in 2008, with veterinary services making up three-quarters of that amount, according to a study by Packaged Facts. Market growth in the pet industry has been expanding in areas such as mobile grooming, waste removal, pet travel, pet-sitting and pet walking, and funerary/bereavement.
-- Viagra (Sildenafil) is used for more than for what it's most famous. In both humans and canines, the drug is prescribed for severe pulmonary hypertension -- high blood pressure in the lungs. The disease is physically debilitating, and many affected dogs are unable to walk across the room without collapsing. Once they receive the proper dose of Viagra, these dogs can take short, daily walks with their owners and return to a more normal quality of life. So if you overhear Viagra being dispensed at your veterinarian's, you'll know its more likely for a heart condition than for "performance." That's especially true, of course, in a neutered dog. And no, dogs aren't prescribed it for that "other" use. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.