• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here
  • This forum is for advice about initial treatment given to your injured/sick bird until a qualified avian veterinarian is available.
    THIS IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE VET CARE

Enlarged Preen Gland

Status
Not open for further replies.

JackDele

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/28/11
Messages
1,209
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Real Name
Adele
Hi Megan,
How's Nin doing now?

Jackie's gone thru a few bad molts in the years that I've had him. He usually bounces back to his happy self once the feathers come in a little ways and the tips break off. I hope this is the case for Nin too because he should be feeling better any day now. Then when the ones he damaged/removed start coming thru again it wont be so bad because there wont be so many. :hug8:
 

April

Joyriding the Neighborhood
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
3/21/10
Messages
23,891
Glad to hear its looking a little better :hug8:
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/14/09
Messages
42,502
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Marie
That's good news. I hope she continues to improve. :hug8:
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan


Being an Avian Specialist, my previous vet was able to tell it was an infection by looking at it. I just can't believe how HUGE it was. :(

I'm glad Nin's gland is going back down in size.
:hug8:
Aww poor guy, that must have been uncomfortable.

My vet is off until Thursday so she didn't actually see Nin, but from everything I described, she is confident it is not infected.

Hi Megan,
How's Nin doing now?

Jackie's gone thru a few bad molts in the years that I've had him. He usually bounces back to his happy self once the feathers come in a little ways and the tips break off. I hope this is the case for Nin too because he should be feeling better any day now. Then when the ones he damaged/removed start coming thru again it wont be so bad because there wont be so many. :hug8:
Thanks! I thought he was starting to feel a bit better, but he's done so much damage to the growing feathers, I think it will be a while. Then early this morning he started his pain cry again:( He is acting a little more himself though, so that is a good thing. But his entire back is all blood feathers... I don't blame him for being uncomfortable! I've been leaving the cone off because he hates it so much; he constantly tries to get it off, and I have to keep him and Leyla separated because L attacks him when the cone is on.
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/14/09
Messages
42,502
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Marie
How is Nin doing this morning? Will the vet be able to see him today? :hug8:
 

JackDele

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
6/28/11
Messages
1,209
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Real Name
Adele
Thanks! I thought he was starting to feel a bit better, but he's done so much damage to the growing feathers, I think it will be a while. Then early this morning he started his pain cry again:( He is acting a little more himself though, so that is a good thing. But his entire back is all blood feathers... I don't blame him for being uncomfortable! I've been leaving the cone off because he hates it so much; he constantly tries to get it off, and I have to keep him and Leyla separated because L attacks him when the cone is on.
:( Poor baby. I hope he continues to get better. :hug8: Give him a cuddle from me just as soon as he'll allow it.
 

suncoast

Cruising the avenue
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
13,464
Location
Naples Florida
Real Name
Ginger
How stressful for you both. Many prayers that this molt get's over with very soon.

Ginger
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan
How is Nin doing this morning? Will the vet be able to see him today? :hug8:
Yep, I dropped L&N off at the clinic this morning and picked them up after work. My vet says his preen gland for sure does not look infected. She says it *could* be enlarged because his body is producing too much preen oil because of the crazy molt, or it could be blocked enough to make things not flow as they should, or even hypovitaminosis A. As a precaution I've been offering even more beta carotene rich foods than usual. And keeping up with the warm compresses of course. The homeopathic silica should also help it drain, but that usually takes a week or so to work.

As far as the feathers go, she sent us home with some more buprenorphine and I can use that with the benadryl. The buprenorphine definitely did help with the pain, and hopefully the benadryl will help with the itchiness. I will probably have to put the cone on him until the feathers are back, but we will see how it goes. I hate to do the cone because he's so unhappy wearing it, and I have to keep him and L separated when it's on. But it might be necessary.



:( Poor baby. I hope he continues to get better. :hug8: Give him a cuddle from me just as soon as he'll allow it.
I will for sure! Him and Leyla are napping on my chest right now, they had a long day at the vet clinic!

How stressful for you both. Many prayers that this molt get's over with very soon.

Ginger
Thanks Ginger:hug8:
 

Bokkapooh

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/18/09
Messages
25,464
Location
Pacific Northwest
Real Name
Mercedez
What I'm about to say worked for me but I was 12 and this advice was given to me by someone who worked with wildlife. One of my finches was picked on by the other finches. Plucked all the bottom feathers out and many back feathers. He was seperated from the aggressor. A couple weeks later, his feathers coming in and his preening gland was HUGE. And he started to show signs of discomfort. What I was told was to use warm wet wash clothe and then slowly/gently push on the green gland. Again I was 12 and this was many years ago. But it worked. The preening gland leaked out most of the excess oil and he didn't have a problem with it again. I don't know if it was painful to do it or not, he didn't struggle or anything, and his behavior improved like night and day.
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan
Thanks Mercedez:) I have been doing the warm wet washcloth and gently massaging the preen gland. I'm not sure how much pressure is too much, so I've just been doing it gently. Nothing is coming out though:confused: It has gotten a bit smaller since doing the warm compresses though. Can you describe how you pushed on the preen gland? Which direction, how much pressure, etc?
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan
Thanks for asking, Adele, Nin is doing a bit better:)

He's still on the buprenorphine and benadryl and it has helped. I still have the cone on him overnight and during the day if I'm not actively with him to make sure he doesn't yank more bloodfeathers. Whenever he's out with me I take it off and then him, Leyla, and I cuddle together a lot. The weekend was great because he didn't have to wear the cone much at all as I was home. He seems much less itchy and his feathers are coming in good, but he will still yank a feather or two when he is preening if it bothers him.

His preen gland has gone down in size a little more, but it's still a bit enlarged. I see progress though, so that is good:)
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/14/09
Messages
42,502
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Marie
I'm so happy there has been progress. :hug8:
 

Big Blues

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
3,003
Megan, healing thoughts and prayers you are doing a great job. :hug8:
 

Bokkapooh

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/18/09
Messages
25,464
Location
Pacific Northwest
Real Name
Mercedez
Thanks Mercedez:) I have been doing the warm wet washcloth and gently massaging the preen gland. I'm not sure how much pressure is too much, so I've just been doing it gently. Nothing is coming out though:confused: It has gotten a bit smaller since doing the warm compresses though. Can you describe how you pushed on the preen gland? Which direction, how much pressure, etc?
Sorry just now seeing this. I think its best to see what your avian vet would say about pushing on the preening gland that I did to one of my zebra finches. I think their preening glands are made up differently. I am not sure. But I just would use the warm wet washclothe on/off, until I knew the preening gland was warm, and then slightly pressed on the preening gland. And then stop and do the compresses. Then slightly press on the preening gland. It took almost an hour, maybe a little less, but it eventually leaked out yellow/white preening gland fluid. And as soon as it leaked out I just kept the warm/wet wash clothe on it and with just the tiniest amount of pressure. And when it was done, he acted perfectly fine. No more itchy movements or acting like his tail hurt. And his overall finchy behavior was improved. I thought I would lose him at first, because he acted so itchy and in pain and slept a lot.:(
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan
Thanks so much Mercedez, I will keep that all in mind and talk to my vet about it if necessary too:) It's getting more difficult to see the preen gland because of the new feather growth, but from what I can tell it was looking almost normal last evening!
 

Birdiemarie

Feather Snuggler
Celebirdy of the Month
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/14/09
Messages
42,502
Location
Ohio
Real Name
Marie
That's wonderful news, Megan! :D
 

love4birds

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
3,054
Location
Alberta, Canada
Real Name
Megan
Got home today and Nin had reached around his cone and chewed a bunch of the blood feathers on his rail and rump until they bled:(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top