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How dusty is your galah?

juliashmulia

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I'm new to cockatoos. I've had my galah, Rose, for a couple weeks and haven't seen a speck of dust. I see people in my RB2 group on Facebook talking about having to bathe them constantly and clouds of dust coming off, so I'm just curious what that's dependent on. Are some 'toos just dustier than others? Is it an age thing? Rosie is 16.
 

lupe

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I don't have a galah..but I do have an umbrella cockatoo. .AND. .he's Very dusty. .toos in General are dusty birds. I'm sure someone will chime in
 

Bokkapooh

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Wear black. Does she make foot prints on you or when you rub her (while wearing black) does any powdery stuff make marks on your clothes?
 

Bokkapooh

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Another thing is doe your bird flap her wings a lot? Have a well lit area so when she flaps or ruffles her flight feathers, you can see the dust pick up in the air.
 

Tiel Feathers

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My 11 year old BE2 is so dusty if he doesn't get at least two baths a week. If I wear dark clothes it looks like I played with a chalkboard. :meh: I think it must depend on the bird. When he shakes his feathers you can really see the dust when the sun is shining through the window. It's a good thing I love him so much! :heart:
 

Tiel Feathers

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Just another thought...is it very humid where you live? I don't know, but maybe humidity helps keep the dust down.
 

juliashmulia

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Hmm, I've only bathed her once since I've had her (it's been just a few weeks). It doesn't get too humid here. She's out all day with me and there seriously is no dust whatsoever. Her cage is dark green and there's no dust on that, either. Could it have something to do with diet? She's a rescue and was on sunflower seeds for 16 years before I got her. She now eats Roudybush and veggies, but her system is probably still malnourished from the years of neglect.
 

Tiel Feathers

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It's so nice she is in such a better home now! My dusty BE2 also came from an owner that only gave him seeds, most of them sunflower. He was dusty there, and now that he is on a healthy diet he is still dusty. I guess you lucked out and have a bird that doesn't have the dusty gene! :)
 

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I think it could have something to do with her prior poor diet. She's lucky you got her! :)
 

Bokkapooh

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Poor baby sounds like she may have some health issues. Has she been to the vet?

A cockatoo without dust means something underlying may be going on.
 

Tiel Feathers

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I guess I was mistaken in my last post. :depressed: I was just talking to someone about cockatoo dust. They also said it could be related to health, and that your bird should be dusty. It might be nutrition, and that a few weeks on a good diet isn't long enough to see any improvements. Have you been to the vet yet? Also, you should start showering your bird frequently. It's so sad when they aren't cared for properly, as in the case of the previous owner.
 

juliashmulia

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Thanks for the input, everyone. :) She has been to the vet, it was the first thing we did and it was her first time ever going in her life (how sad is that). She is obese and has a fatty tumor on her abdomen (technically it's a xanthoma since it has a blood supply), but other than that all her labs and her CBC came back normal and healthy. We've got the diet down and now we're just working on getting her plenty of exercise. By some miracle the people that had her didn't clip her wings, so I'm doing little flying lessons with her every day and she's slowly building up muscle.

I'm hoping there's no other issue that could be causing the lack of dust, but I guess for now I'll just be glad I don't have to deal with it! :D
 

juliashmulia

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I guess I was mistaken in my last post. :depressed: I was just talking to someone about cockatoo dust. They also said it could be related to health, and that your bird should be dusty. It might be nutrition, and that a few weeks on a good diet isn't long enough to see any improvements. Have you been to the vet yet? Also, you should start showering your bird frequently. It's so sad when they aren't cared for properly, as in the case of the previous owner.
I just saw this after my previous reply. So I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing for now and play it by ear. How often should I bathe her? I've always heard too many baths will dry out their skin, so I usually let my other birds decide when they want to (usually once a week or two).
 

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My cockatoos demand a bath atleast twice a week. If they become anxious for "no apparent reason" they probably need a bath. Now my macaw, she wants one daily. May explain why she is always a brat ;) :hehe:
 

juliashmulia

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Thank you all for the replies. I figured a dust-free cockatoo was cause for concern. It just isn't normal. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and see a change as she gets healthier. Thanks again. :)
 

jmfleish

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Galahs, in general, aren't as dusty as their white cousins and you might not notice her dust as much but trust me, she's probably dusty. Wear some dark clothing and handle her and then look at your clothes...do you see anything on them?:)
 

Tiel Feathers

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My vet says to bring my birds in the shower as much as possible, and that the water and the humidity are great for their skin. :bathtime:

Your Galah sounds a lot like my Bare Eyed. We just rescued him 4 weeks ago, and his previous owner fed him all seeds, mostly sunflower, he was subjected to cigarette smoke, she used scented candles, his cage was covered in poop, he had never been to the vet, :( but his wings aren't clipped. Luckily he is healthy. Your Galah might get dustier after his skin improves with humidity.
 
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