GCC Plucker After Bath (Has anyone seen anything that looks like this?)

[aviumcaelum]

This is my little guy after a bath which he willingly took. You can see some of the plucked spots under his wings. Has anyone ever experienced something like this before with their bird or have any suggestions as to what it is?

Thanks!

 

[Lodah]

Looks like an irritation to me... Vet visit?

 

[Macawnutz]

Wet birds can have many bare spots that you don't notice when they are dry.

 

[saroj12]

Wet birds can have many bare spots that you don't notice when they are dry.

Yup! I called my breeder in a panic after Chickies first spray bath ... she looked so bare in spots.i thought she had beak and feather disease, lol!
My breeder probably thought uh oh here we go again!

 

[Skipper]

Looks like normal post bath preening to me. I did not see him pull any feathers, just preen them up pretty.

 

[aviumcaelum]

He usually doesn't pluck after a bath (he saves that for the night or other preening time), but the areas he does pluck (under and top of wing and the spot by his leg) he goes after like a fury. Can parrots be allergic to something in a local water source?

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

you may want to take him to the vet to rule out allergens

 

[Skipper]

Is he pulling out feathers or just preening them? Of course vet checks never hurt.

 

[aviumcaelum]

Plucks them from the underside and top of his wing. He does it primarily at night. It is the newly growing in feathers that he primarily targets.

I've had him to two avian vets. Didn't do any allergen tests but tested for giardia and bacterial infections. All came back negative. Tried all sorts of behavioral things and nothing seems to work. T

he working hypotheses are its either separation anxiety or some chemical/hormonal imbalance related to molting/puberty. Would a collar be best? I'm not sure how well he would handle it; he's a highly strung sort of bird.

 

[alshgs]

An x ray might not hurt either. My conure barbers his feathers and we found out that it was a mass pushing into his stomach causing him discomfort.

 

[aviumcaelum]

Does anyone have any suggestions if it is the fact that the feathers growing in irritate him so that he pulls them out? I've tried aloe spray. Doesn't seem to have any effect.

 

[Skipper]

Since he is plucking, see your vet.

 

[aviumcaelum]

He's been to two avian vets. We are almost certain it's behavioral. When I was at my parents for summer vacation, he stopped plucking (and had a fairly heavy molt--the first he's had in the two years I've had him). Granted, I was able to spend a lot more time with him and he was able to enjoy a lot more sunshine. He started again once I got back to Ohio. I thought it might be because he didn't like the apartment I was in (afraid to go in his cage). I've since moved and he isn't afraid to go in his cage at night anymore (sometimes he voluntarily goes it). Still plucks pins though.

I'm concerned that, since he's going through another molt, he's going to pluck out those pins in addition to the ones he already does. I'm wondering if a collar is the way to go or if there is some other option.

 

[webchirp]

I know plucking can bring a lot of anxiety. Birds and animals can be similar to people in that they develop issues as well. New pins that come in on pluckers can sometimes be itchy. There are different things you can try with the help of your vet. Benedryl if the new pinnies coming in are itchy. My Giggie and Tuck are on gabapentin for their plucking issues. I recommend a very large cage, lots of toys and use the other cage as a change of space.

 

[Peachfaced]

Sherbie started this habit up in the last few months and it wasn't until this last "purge" he did of his chest feathers that I noticed he had two feathers growing from the same follicle. It seems to be an isolated incident, but it can cause a lot of irritation from what I've been reading. Have you noticed any of these?

* By the way, I did the same thing as you and the CBC, giardia, and all the other tests came back negative. We even checked for a fungal infection in the feathers. Nothing conclusive. That was back in August. I couldn't afford to keep bringing him back to the vet. I've just been trying to keep him distracted with only minor success. He seems to get really irritated when the feathers have mostly grown out and then he goes in to fury mode and yanks them all.

I was given benedryl for him but it really didn't help him.