Lovebird Molting/Dry Skin?

[kellyykins]

Hello everyone

My Fischer lovebird, Peach, has been overly preening his feet lately. This May will mark a year since I’ve had him. I noticed his feet are really dry and when preening, white specs fall on his feathers. Almost like dry “dandruff” like specs. New feathers are coming in (he has pin feathers). He occasionally scratches his head here and there throughout the day. I do have a humidifier and air purifier in my home to make sure the cold air during the winter doesn’t impact Peach too much. I’d say this has been going on for the past 2 months. He’s eating well and very active. Stools look good. He’s been bathing at least 1-2x per week. Recently added a vitamin supplement to add to his food. Haven’t paid a visit to an avian vet just yet. Would appreciate any thoughts/shared experiences regarding this!

 

[Respect]

The white flecks that come off when he’s preening are likely feather casings! Pin feathers are like a tube made out of keratin that keeps the inner feather and blood supply safe while it’s growing. Once the feather is done growing and the blood supply shrinks back into the skin, the outer casing dries out and flakes off with a little bit of pressure. If he has lots of pin feathers and is preening a lot, he’s probably just going through a molt and opening the feathers as they’re ready. If he’s otherwise acting normal and doesn’t have any signs of feather damage (feathers that look chewed/tattered or have abnormal black edges) then I wouldn’t worry! He looks absolutely gorgeous in the pictures that are attached

Dry feet seem to be common in my experience. I have seen people apply coconut oil to moisturize dry feet; but I don’t think that’s necessary, especially if your bird isn’t comfortable being handled in that way.

Do you have a hygrometer to measure the actual RH (relative humidity) in your home? Ideal indoor RH is 40-50%. It’s also possible to buy a humidistat that your humidifier plugs into, so that it will automatically turn on when the humidity drops below a specified RH% and turn off when it goes above a specified RH%.

Finally, if he hasn’t seen a vet at all yet, I would recommend making an appointment so that they can do a wellness exam and check that everything is in order. If you need help finding one, I’d be happy to try and help!

Best wishes to you and Peach!

 

[kellyykins]

Thank you so much for your detailed response! That explanation about the feather casings makes a lot of sense, especially since Peach has been preening a lot lately. It’s reassuring to hear that this is likely just part of the molting process. He doesn’t have any signs of feather damage (no tattered or black-edged feathers) and he’s been acting completely normal, chirping, eating, and being his usual self. I have noticed a lot of feathers he’s lost but no bald spots.

Regarding his feet, I appreciate the insight! I haven’t tried coconut oil, and he’s not the biggest fan of being handled in that way

I don’t have a hygrometer to measure the humidity, but I’ll look into getting one. I haven’t noticed any extreme dryness in the air, but I know it can fluctuate, so it would be good to keep track of. It’s been pretty cold and we’ve had the heater on from a distance here and there.

As for a vet visit, he hasn’t seen one yet, but I do want to take him for a wellness check at some point. If you have recommendations for avian vets, I’d appreciate any suggestions. It would be for Los Angeles, CA area.

Again, thank you for your help and for the kind words about Peach! <3

 

[Respect]

As for a vet visit, he hasn’t seen one yet, but I do want to take him for a wellness check at some point. If you have recommendations for avian vets, I’d appreciate any suggestions. It would be for Los Angeles, CA area.

I would highly recommend checking out the AAV’s Find-A-Vet tool! There’s plenty of vets within an hour or less of LA. I can’t recommend any specific one as I’m nowhere near Cali, but you could always look at reviews on Google

 

[kellyykins]

I would highly recommend checking out the AAV’s Find-A-Vet tool! There’s plenty of vets within an hour or less of LA. I can’t recommend any specific one as I’m nowhere near Cali, but you could always look at reviews on Google

Thanks so much. I will definitely check this out. The humidifier meter is on the way. Any suggestions for food? Peach is afraid to try veggies/fruits. I am adding a supplement that’s helpful for feather care during molting season in his current seed mix (has a few dried veggies and fruits).

 

[Respect]

Any suggestions for food? Peach is afraid to try veggies/fruits. I am adding a supplement that’s helpful for feather care during molting season in his current seed mix (has a few dried veggies and fruits).

Does he eat the dried fruits and veggies? Or does he not eat any at all?

A lot of parrots are scared to try new things because they don’t recognize it as food.

One thing you can do to show him that fruits and veggies are safe and good is to eat some in front of him and say things like “yummy”. Then, if he shows interest, you can give him a piece too; just make sure not to give him any that has already touched your mouth.

I wish I could give more and better advice than that, but I was seemingly blessed with the least-pickiest bird on the planet. My green cheek will seriously eat ANYTHING if he sees us eating it or if it’s in his dish
— so hopefully some other members can weigh in with advice!

 

[Jayced!!]

The white flecks that come off when he’s preening are likely feather casings! Pin feathers are like a tube made out of keratin that keeps the inner feather and blood supply safe while it’s growing. Once the feather is done growing and the blood supply shrinks back into the skin, the outer casing dries out and flakes off with a little bit of pressure. If he has lots of pin feathers and is preening a lot, he’s probably just going through a molt and opening the feathers as they’re ready. If he’s otherwise acting normal and doesn’t have any signs of feather damage (feathers that look chewed/tattered or have abnormal black edges) then I wouldn’t worry! He looks absolutely gorgeous in the pictures that are attached

Dry feet seem to be common in my experience. I have seen people apply coconut oil to moisturize dry feet; but I don’t think that’s necessary, especially if your bird isn’t comfortable being handled in that way.

Do you have a hygrometer to measure the actual RH (relative humidity) in your home? Ideal indoor RH is 40-50%. It’s also possible to buy a humidistat that your humidifier plugs into, so that it will automatically turn on when the humidity drops below a specified RH% and turn off when it goes above a specified RH%.

Finally, if he hasn’t seen a vet at all yet, I would recommend making an appointment so that they can do a wellness exam and check that everything is in order. If you need help finding one, I’d be happy to try and help!

Best wishes to you and Peach!

second this! VERY good advice!