Conference 7.286::pet_birds

347.0. "Feather Plucker but in good health..." by HKFINN::GIANCOLA (Donna Giancola) Tue Apr 24 1990 12:03

    Vet Visit for Cochese & Rocky:

    In previous notes, I have mentioned that my female Goffin Cockatoo
    (Cochese) has a feather plucking problem.  She never lets her outer
    feathers grow in.  Someone told me she might have beak and feather
    disease, others told me she could be sexually frustrated.  Well,
    we went to visit the vets yesterday and I had her checked over.
    The doctor told me that both her and Rocky were in real good conditon
    and that there was NO sign of any kind of disease.  I do have to
    get a stool sample to her because she couldn't get one yesterday.
    But, as far as their appearance, they looked fine.  They both had
    very good heart beats and clear lungs.  They have lots of feather
    dust, which I guess is a good sign of healthy cockatoos (although
    my house looks like a dust bowl if I don't do it every day).  They both
    had good weight also.
    
    The doc asked me what I was feeding them.  I feed them Applebees
    (I'm pretty sure that is what it is) parrot mix.  I explained that
    Cochese will eat anything we are eating but Rocky doesn't eat anything
    we eat and doesn't like vegs or fruit.  She said to mix up the
    following:
    
    Rice, Vegs, Pinto beans, Soy beans, Lental beans, and Monkey biscuits
    
    She also told me to get him use to eating other "good" food instead
    of just seed, let the mixture stay in his dish for 1 and up to 1-1/2
    days (he will not starve she said) so that he will start eating
    and tasting the different food and get use to it.  Then give him a
    little bowl of his seeds.  Once he's use to eating the other food,
    I can give more equal time/shares of the seed and veg mix.
    
    As for Cochese's feather picking... well, turns out that she is
    sexually frustrated!  Dr. Kilgore told me that she once had 2 birds
    that were just like the ones I brought in to her.  She ended up giving
    her frustrated bird to a breeder with the deal that she would get
    a baby when the bird had chicks and she got rid of the untamed
    Mollucan.  However, she said that her sexually frustrated bird was
    not like mine in that mine is very attached to me.  I guess hers
    just sat in the cage frustrated and didn't want anything to do with
    her.  She ended up giving me a prescription (Soloxine) and told
    me to pick up some Nekton Bio for Cochese's feathers.  These two
    things will stimulate fast feather growth.  She also told me to
    alter the amount of sleep time she's getting.  She can be getting
    too much or too little.  I told her that when I was gone for a week
    housesitting someone's 3 dogs and a cat, I left the light in their
    room on and didn't cover them.  I went once a day and spent about
    1 hour with her.  Believe it or not, at the end of that week, she
    had feathers on her wings and tail.  So, I'm going to try to do
    that at night (although, when we're home she screams if we don't
    cover her and keep the light off) and give her the medicine and
    Nekton Bio.
    
    Donna :^)

    
    	I had the same problem with a goffin that was recently given to me
    when her owner couldn't give her the attention she needed. She had
    plucked almost all of the feathers from her neck down. I have had her
    for about 3 weeks and within the first two she stopped plucking and now
    her feathers are growing back in fine.
    
    	I believe this is because I add Nova Stress to the water for all my
    birds daily. I've seen this product help other birds, including a
    goffin that a friend had that had also plucked his feathers.
    
    	You might try and pick some up. 
    
    							Mark

    Thanks for the suggestion Mark.  Right now I have her on a prescription
    from the doctor (to increase feather growth quickly) and Nekton
    Bio.  I've had this bird for 2 years and she isn't completely bald
    but she only has down feathers on her body (except the head cuz
    she can't get to it).  If the doctors remedy doesn't work, I'll
    pick some of that stuff up.  What does it do for the bird?  mellow
    it out?  I don't think my bird is stressed except for the sexual
    frustration that the doc spoke to me about (which I guess now that
    I think about it, can put add stress).
    
    Donna :-)