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Feel like I am failing my birds

MommyBird

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How can you tell if he's barbering or plucking?
With Jimi, who barbers, I tell either by what is on the cage floor or remaining on him. It's as if you snipped the feather off low in a "V"in various sizes.
He is never actually bald, there is just a short stub of feather plus the grey under-down there.
When occasionally I see a full feather on the floor there is always soon the opposite side's corresponding feather like a normal molt.

I don't know what to think if you never see anything. Not even teeny tiny feather pieces? I have no ideas for that mystery!
I know if a feather plucked often it might not regrow, but I don't know enough about your situation to make a guess.
 

Monica

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In regards to a "regular" vet vs a certified avian vet... personally, I don't believe it makes a difference if the "regular" vet is still keeping up on all the new avian medicine and literature!

My own vet that I typically see was trained by two certified avian vets. Both told her, if you value your life, don't do it! I'm basically saying that you could potentially get the same level of care and advice from a "regular" vet that you would from an avian certified vet. The vet I saw over the weekend? Not certified, but being trained under one! ;) Personally, I think that's good enough for me! Especially if this vet can ask the certified one questions to bounce ideas off of!

Some "regular" vets may even be previously certified avian vets that didn't keep up their certification because the amount of work you have to put into keeping your certification renewed when needed is ridiculous.


I'm not saying all this to dissuade you from actually going to an avian certified vet.... if you want to see an avian certified specialist, then by all means, do so! Just that there are some great non-certified vets that also work with birds and are knowledgeable enough to treat them without the certification! You just have to find them! ;)
 

Toy

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>lupron was $45 for shot plus avian vet visit <
Dang that's cheap. I was quoted $150.00!
 

MommyBird

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>lupron was $45 for shot plus avian vet visit <
Dang that's cheap. I was quoted $150.00!
Quote the whole thing: that was in 2016, don't know the price today. But at the time I was amazed that it would be one of the cheapest vet visits I'd had.
Also the quantity of lupron per shot was for a 160g bird, I'm sure a big macaw needs more.
 

MommyBird

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@Toy
sorry I was feeling snippy there.
You had just pushed not one but several really huge buttons for me that you had no idea you were pushing,
and I need to remember to hush up before morning coffee.
I'm feeling better now. I'd still say the same thing but much more nicely.
 

BrianB

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Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital has an office in Tucson. Their staff is very knowledgable on birds and at least one of them is avian certified. They aren't just a cat, dog, or bird type of practice. More than once I've been in their office and someone comes in the door with a pig or something. I've had great luck with them.
 

Fergus Mom

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@DurgaRose I just wanted to chime in and say I hope your flock will be okay, and bless you for trying so hard to help them. I hope the move will be stress free and go smoothly!
 

DurgaRose

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@DurgaRose I just wanted to chime in and say I hope your flock will be okay, and bless you for trying so hard to help them. I hope the move will be stress free and go smoothly!
Thank you so much! That means a lot :heart2: this forum is a blessing and posting about this really helped, everyone has been so nice. I know the move will be stressful but I am hoping that being in a new home and place will distract the birdies a bit and maybe even help! When we moved from Ohio to the Southwest a year and a half ago I was so worried how Kiwee would handle the long 4 day drive, staying in hotels every night and then arriving in our new apartment, but he did really well!! I think he even had fun exploring all the new things to see, even explored in the hotels each night!! This move is only 4 hours away (instead of 4 DAYS!!) and fingers crossed they will be okay!
 

DurgaRose

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In regards to a "regular" vet vs a certified avian vet... personally, I don't believe it makes a difference if the "regular" vet is still keeping up on all the new avian medicine and literature!

My own vet that I typically see was trained by two certified avian vets. Both told her, if you value your life, don't do it! I'm basically saying that you could potentially get the same level of care and advice from a "regular" vet that you would from an avian certified vet. The vet I saw over the weekend? Not certified, but being trained under one! ;) Personally, I think that's good enough for me! Especially if this vet can ask the certified one questions to bounce ideas off of!

Some "regular" vets may even be previously certified avian vets that didn't keep up their certification because the amount of work you have to put into keeping your certification renewed when needed is ridiculous.


I'm not saying all this to dissuade you from actually going to an avian certified vet.... if you want to see an avian certified specialist, then by all means, do so! Just that there are some great non-certified vets that also work with birds and are knowledgeable enough to treat them without the certification! You just have to find them! ;)
I
In regards to a "regular" vet vs a certified avian vet... personally, I don't believe it makes a difference if the "regular" vet is still keeping up on all the new avian medicine and literature!

My own vet that I typically see was trained by two certified avian vets. Both told her, if you value your life, don't do it! I'm basically saying that you could potentially get the same level of care and advice from a "regular" vet that you would from an avian certified vet. The vet I saw over the weekend? Not certified, but being trained under one! ;) Personally, I think that's good enough for me! Especially if this vet can ask the certified one questions to bounce ideas off of!

Some "regular" vets may even be previously certified avian vets that didn't keep up their certification because the amount of work you have to put into keeping your certification renewed when needed is ridiculous.


I'm not saying all this to dissuade you from actually going to an avian certified vet.... if you want to see an avian certified specialist, then by all means, do so! Just that there are some great non-certified vets that also work with birds and are knowledgeable enough to treat them without the certification! You just have to find them! ;)
I am sure there are! I just have had bad luck so far...
 

DurgaRose

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Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital has an office in Tucson. Their staff is very knowledgable on birds and at least one of them is avian certified. They aren't just a cat, dog, or bird type of practice. More than once I've been in their office and someone comes in the door with a pig or something. I've had great luck with them.
Thank you! That is where we will go :) I am literally counting down the days!! Things have been rough here in New Mexico! Its really beautiful, but just really lacks in options for certain basic services
 

DurgaRose

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Can you share recent pictures of Amigo?

This is a good website to check out. Some very thorough pages worth reading! :)




I have Bibi, who's plucking her back, but you'd never know just by looking at her. You have to physically *move* the feathers aside to see the bare spot. Her plucking does not seem to be hormone related, but as to why it's unclear.

We saw a new vet yesterday and she recommended putting her on RegeniFREE. Never heard of it, don't know what it is.... picked up some tumeric for myself on the drive back home (2 hour drive... took over 3 hours to get there thanks to the weather...)... start the RegeniFREE today. It's very orange-y.... look it up.... it's tumeric! Haven't seen her eat it... yet...
Here are a couple photos of Amigo that I took this morning :) 20200114_101932.jpg 20200114_101940 (1).jpg
 

annoellyn

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I've never dealt with plucking but I think we all deal with feeling like inadequate pet owners at some point in our lives. It does show that we care a lot.
I had a huge life upheaval a few years back, had to move home with my senior bunny to my mom's who had three dogs. My rabbit got really stressed, wouldn't eat, almost died from gi failure. Then a few months later he escaped his cage and almost lost an eye due to a cat scratch. I felt like my life problems were just putting my pets through misery and that they were better off with someone else. But he made full recovery with his eye intact. We got our own place where he could be free range and lived to be 11 years old.

You love your birds so much that you feel hurt that they are hurting themselves.

But you are what they need and no one else would be as attentive to there needs as you are. I can tell from your post that you are an excellent bird mom!
 

DurgaRose

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I've never dealt with plucking but I think we all deal with feeling like inadequate pet owners at some point in our lives. It does show that we care a lot.
I had a huge life upheaval a few years back, had to move home with my senior bunny to my mom's who had three dogs. My rabbit got really stressed, wouldn't eat, almost died from gi failure. Then a few months later he escaped his cage and almost lost an eye due to a cat scratch. I felt like my life problems were just putting my pets through misery and that they were better off with someone else. But he made full recovery with his eye intact. We got our own place where he could be free range and lived to be 11 years old.

You love your birds so much that you feel hurt that they are hurting themselves.

But you are what they need and no one else would be as attentive to there needs as you are. I can tell from your post that you are an excellent bird mom!
Than you for the really sweet response :heart2: Definitely helps me to feel better! I know when I am stressed and worrying all the time it isn't good for the birds! Everyone's kindness here on AA has really helped. And thank you for sharing your bunnies story, I used to have a fuzzy lop named Muffin and I know they can be so timid and easily affected by things just like our feathered babies. We can't help, as humans, things getting complicated sometimes and our animals don't understand why things change or why our moods change. But I am so glad you stuck it out, kept your bunny, and got him to a better place to live to an old age with you! I try to be the best bird mom I can. I know life in captivity for a parrot is so far removed from what they are used to and deserve in the wild. I see having them as companions as a gift and I really cherish them everyday. It is my responsibility as their bird mom and flock leader to do everything I can to give them the best quality of life possible. :heart:
 

Monica

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As far as I can tell, Amigo is just fine! I don't see any signs of feather destructive behavior! Unless he's like Bibi... and hiding it!

Truly, he's stunning! :)


Sorry to hear about your experiences with the vets thus far. :( Hang in there! :) We are all here for you! :D
 

DurgaRose

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As far as I can tell, Amigo is just fine! I don't see any signs of feather destructive behavior! Unless he's like Bibi... and hiding it!

Truly, he's stunning! :)


Sorry to hear about your experiences with the vets thus far. :( Hang in there! :) We are all here for you! :D
Thank you :) I think he is okay. I increased the humidity in their room even more and have been giving him extra attention and he also got a bunch of new toys from Planet Pleasures bird toys, so he's happy!
 

Stella F

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Exactly what I was thinking. You are moving to a very dry climate. Perhaps you can look into getting a central humidifier that will also measure the humidify of you home.
I also think, that your birds might have just a dry skin. If you want to increase humidity fast and cheaply: Just hang up soaked bath towels near the cage!
 

DurgaRose

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UPDATE:
Amigo seems to be okay :) I noticed some pin feathers around his neck, so maybe he is molting?? I still will find a few grey downy feathers in his cage in the morning but not an alarming amount. Thank goodness!
Sadly, my lovebird is still kind of a mess. He's been plucking along his sides, up from his behind where this all started. One positive thing though is there has been no blood on his beak so I think he's really just plucking but not chewing his skin, like he was. Still planning on getting both of them to the vet asap once I am moved in March, and have access to an avian vet.
 
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