I need help with my macaw .. her name is Jazz and she keeps falling off her perch when she sleeps. Can they be in a cage without a perch? She keeps plucking her feathers really bad . I have bought her toys and moved her cage around the house to different areas still plucking her feathers .
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This forum is for advice about initial treatment given to your injured/sick bird until a qualified avian veterinarian is available.
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Urgent My macaw jazz
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Hi there. What size perch is she sleeping on? I wonder if it maybe too small for her? Normally when parrots sleep their feet for lack of a better term automatically tighten around their perch to keep them stable when they are roosting so that's a tad unusual that she keeps falling.
Is she elderly or have any known health issues?
Yes they can sleep in a cage without a perch some folks will do a dog crate with a soft blanket inside(as long as they don't chew and ingest the fabric)
Considering she's fallen numerous times and is plucking so much I'd really recommend a vet check asap to rule out any medical issues.
Hi there. What size perch is she sleeping on? I wonder if it maybe too small for her? Normally when parrots sleep their feet for lack of a better term automatically tighten around their perch to keep them stable when they are roosting so that's a tad unusual that she keeps falling.
Is she elderly or have any known health issues?
Yes they can sleep in a cage without a perch some folks will do a dog crate with a soft blanket inside(as long as they don't chew and ingest the fabric)
Considering she's fallen numerous times and is plucking so much I'd really recommend a vet check asap to rule out any medical issues.
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Shezbug
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How old is your bird?
You can use a platform perch, a crate with a soft bottom as mentioned above but considering you mention plucking and falling I really think a vet visit might be a good idea if you have not already had one.
You can use a platform perch, a crate with a soft bottom as mentioned above but considering you mention plucking and falling I really think a vet visit might be a good idea if you have not already had one.
In addition to medical reasons why she might frequently fall off her perch there may also be medical reasons for plucking.
For example, an Amazon I have suffered a broken leg before she came to me. The bones knitted with the ends side-by-side and not end to end.
This causes her to fall more than usual and she also has pain and so will pluck the feathers around the break area.
You couldn't see the problem just looking at her.
I don't know why it was difficult to get my vet to do an xray but when she finally did, she was amazed and it explained a lot of things.
For example, an Amazon I have suffered a broken leg before she came to me. The bones knitted with the ends side-by-side and not end to end.
This causes her to fall more than usual and she also has pain and so will pluck the feathers around the break area.
You couldn't see the problem just looking at her.
I don't know why it was difficult to get my vet to do an xray but when she finally did, she was amazed and it explained a lot of things.
She keeps plucking her feathers , o took her to vet and he gave her some medicine for 7 days.. she continues to pluck. I gave her toys and I switched her cage to another room .. still plucking. Is there a home remedy for this? She now falls asleep and falls off perch . Can I remove perch? Can she be with our one?
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I was wondering about arthritis (usually in older birds), or bone issues due to age or malnutrition as some of the more obvious reasons, but of course there are many other possibilities that a veterinarian could rule out or in.
An older, but diagnostic tool, but still one of the most effective. Some veterinarians are hesitant about using it on parrots if they are not in the best of health and would have to be anesthetized.
It will help if you answer a few questions:
Can you post photos of your bird & it's cage?
How long have you had your macaw?
Do you know how old your macaw is?
What size is the perch? A perch for macaws is usually 1.5-2 inches in size. Straight wood dowel rod perches are not good.
Why did the vet give her medicine for 7 days & what was the medicine?
Is your bird getting 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly?
What are you feeding your macaw?
Plucking can become habit for birds or it can be due to a health issue, etc.. For now you need to figure out why she is falling off her perch. If this is happening nightly then a sleep crate may be best.
Can you post photos of your bird & it's cage?
How long have you had your macaw?
Do you know how old your macaw is?
What size is the perch? A perch for macaws is usually 1.5-2 inches in size. Straight wood dowel rod perches are not good.
Why did the vet give her medicine for 7 days & what was the medicine?
Is your bird getting 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly?
What are you feeding your macaw?
Plucking can become habit for birds or it can be due to a health issue, etc.. For now you need to figure out why she is falling off her perch. If this is happening nightly then a sleep crate may be best.
it's a pretty normal long round . she's old, she's about 60 years old (human years). she usually falls when she is asleep. The Vet did tell me that the reason she plucks is form anxiety or she's bored. So, I did buy her toys and move her cage to a quieter room. but she still plucks. I am glad i can remove perch, i just can't keep having her fall, the last time she hurt herself and damaged her left eye. The vet did give her meds for that. I have heard of some remedies people use that they spray on their birds to stop the plucking, have you heard of those?
One of my friends did mention arthritis, I will take her back to vet. Thank you.
I have had her for maybe 7 years,
I apologize she's not 60 but more in her late 40's (Human years).
but my cousin gave her to me, he had her for close.
Shezbug
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Get your bird some natural perches and platform perches for her foot health and remove the dowel perch.
Consider putting your bird in a carrier for night time with some nice soft padding on the floor so her feet can get some rest and she stays safe from falling.
A visit with an avian vet may be a good idea to help determine if your bird has arthritis and needs medication or other interventions.
Please do not use those sprays - there is always a reason for plucking and often it is due to pain we cannot see and do not know about... a proper vet check with a good vet may be the best thing you can do at the moment.
Consider putting your bird in a carrier for night time with some nice soft padding on the floor so her feet can get some rest and she stays safe from falling.
A visit with an avian vet may be a good idea to help determine if your bird has arthritis and needs medication or other interventions.
Please do not use those sprays - there is always a reason for plucking and often it is due to pain we cannot see and do not know about... a proper vet check with a good vet may be the best thing you can do at the moment.
