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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 0:40:37 GMT
This is pretty shocking. It looks like a lot of damage very suddenly. I don't have specific knowledge about this condition. However, it looks too dramatic to be nutritional. I wonder if the other bird did this. I would look at what changed recently. I do remember there was a traumatic accident with a toy last week. Could the other bird have been traumatized enough that she started plucking this bird? I suggest separating the birds. Also, watch closely and try to identify the behavior that is causing this. Also, I think you should consult an avian veterinarian. We are not equipped to give medical advice. Here is a link I found that discusses feather plucking. answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100313165914AATtX7EYou may want to search on the internet.
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 0:42:30 GMT
Do you actually see the bird plucking itself? (I saw your last post after I wrote the above)
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Post by hzuiel on Feb 7, 2014 0:54:40 GMT
Yes. My mother sat and watched it pluck itself for hours while i was stuck at work.
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 0:58:09 GMT
Do you have any theory about what might have changed to cause the bird to suddenly start doing this? I still think a vet would be a good idea.
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Post by hzuiel on Feb 7, 2014 1:45:03 GMT
Unfortunately I really don't have the money right now. I don't know what might have changed. Obviously changing cages was a big change for them, but that's been weeks ago now. I was being a bit slow to replace their food because i wanted them to eat the other non-seed items in their food. I don't know if that could've caused it. It is winter, the furnace is running, the air could be dry. They have a bird bath and 2 huge water dishes, but i suppose they might not be using any of them for baths. I don't think you can mist a bird that's been plucked though can you? I don't see how it could be mites, they left the pet store getting close to a year ago. If they had mites from the pet store they would've shown up already right? Also no scaley beak.
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Post by Pammy on Feb 7, 2014 1:46:56 GMT
Oh my! How horrible, and very shocking. I wasn't expecting anything nearly as bad. I'm so sorry you and your bird are having to suddenly deal with such a problem. I 100% second Diana's suggestion to get your baby to the avian vet immediately. Poor, poor bird!
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 2:13:54 GMT
I can see from the cage and the toys you have for your birds that you really, really care about them. Please don't feel that we will judge you if you cannot afford a vet.
I keep thinking about the accident on 1/31, and that it was probably traumatic for both of them. Also, perhaps the bird that is plucking was particularly attached to the offending toy. The accident or the loss of the toy may have set the bird off.
I think providing alternatives to plucking behavior would be a good way to go. Sort of like distracting a child that is engaging in problem behaviors.
One suggestion I would make is to try to get some perches that go across the short length of the cage and put one at each end, so they can fly back and forth between them. The perches that run across the long length of he cage are less useful for encouraging flying. Also, try to distract the bird from plucking by providing particularly delicious treats and maybe put them in in a way that the birds need to forage for them. Giving the birds comfort foods for a little while right now may be helpful, and not too bad for their overall health. You can look up resources about foraging on the internet. For example, they could be provided in little (very little) white tissue paper envelopes or bags, that the birds would have to work at opening. The bags could be hung on a piece of string. This would simulate the challenges of hunting for food in the wild. As the birds get good at finding the treats inside, you could make the task more challenging. Gradually introducing additional toys might help, especially if you can find one like the toy they lost==or modify that toy so it is safer. Another idea would be to leave music playing for them while you are away, or recordings of budgies from the internet.
Please let us know how it's going and let us know if you find anything that works. Bear in mind, it will take time for the feathers to grow back.
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Post by cmt5 on Feb 7, 2014 2:53:49 GMT
I'm relatively new to raising budgies, but I thought I might share something I learned/saw this weekend at the National Aviary. My family and I were feeding Lorikeets and one had the same type of plucking pattern. I asked the trainer what had happened and he told me that the bird had recently had a gastrointestinal infection and that he very suddenly had plucked all the feathers on his chest because he had a "stomach ache". They got him to the avian vet and he was diagnosed with the infection and put on antibiotics. In his case, they didn't know whether the feathers would regrow or not, but his infection had cleared and he was physically healthy. Just thought it seemed similar because the area was identical and the trainer said that it also happened suddenly.
I'm hoping your budgie is feeling well soon!
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Post by Sarah on Feb 7, 2014 7:09:37 GMT
Because this happened so suddenly and so drastically, I am inclined to believe that your bird is sick, not merely stressed or bored as is the usual reason for feather plucking in parrots. It could be an internal infection, fungal or bacterial infection of the skin, virus or it could be parasites that are irritating the skin. I would try to find a vet who will see budgies as soon as possible. Feather plucking may not be uncommon among the larger parrots but it is highly unusual and extremely upsetting to see in a budgie.
For the moment, I would keep your birds warm by affixing a heating pad to one side of their cage by a favorite perch, adding some apple vinegar into their water (just a drop every day) and find a way to play some soothing music in the room as much as you can. These things should both reduce any possible stress and help the bird to fight infection at the same time. This is not a fix, this is basic nursing care. He will still need to see a veterinarian.
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Post by hzuiel on Feb 7, 2014 13:51:14 GMT
I literally have just enough to eat and have gas to keep going to work until payday next week, and even then I'm not sure where i will stand because the registration on my car is due on top of other bills. My sensibilities tell me this isn't just a stress situation as well, I am at least slightly familiar with stress picking and usually it happens gradually and in specific spots, or just here and there. Not a massive clean slate plucking. The only thing i can think is that maybe in trying to limit their food so they would eat the other non-seed stuff in their food mix, i accidentally made it so hungry that it reacted this way. I was stretching things to about a day, day 1/2. Maybe 2 at most. With 2 feeders full they would eat most of the seeds in one day, then scavenge the last of the remaining seeds the next day, at which point i was hoping they would try something else. After I hand fed it some millet last night, and re-filled it's preferred feeder and it ate, it stopped plucking. It was still plucking right up until I got home from work yesterday, but i have not observed it plucking since it ate out of the feeder. This morning after i turned on the kitchen lights(in the other room) which starts their wakeup process, like the sun rising on the horizon, I looked them over, and it doesn't immediately look like any more plucking took place overnight. After the light in their room came on and they started getting more active i hand fed it some more millet and i saw it in it's feeder again before I had to leave for work. I will see if i can pick up an infrared bulb after work today. I can play music off of youtube on the computer in the room. The toy that was removed due to the entanglement was the favorite of the one that is not plucking(the blue one), though the stress from the whole situation can't be ruled out as a possibility. It is really frustrating that one trip to the vet is more expensive than 6 - 9 budgies themselves. The level of credentials to be a vet and the equipment they use is costly, but good lord.
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 14:10:06 GMT
I am glad things are a little better. I know what you mean about vet bills. It should not be that only the well-off can have pets.
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Post by Budgielover on Feb 7, 2014 14:50:47 GMT
Looks like your bird might have giardia.
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Post by rdkntriker on Feb 7, 2014 15:51:27 GMT
CAll the vet and see if you can work out a deal with them. I know your money is tight, but the bird is suffering.
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Post by hzuiel on Feb 7, 2014 16:02:29 GMT
I just read about giardia, it says it's highly contagious, so if one has, it, both should have it, though symptoms might only show up in one..... If it is giardia that would mean i would need to pay for Ronidazole treatments for both birds, and sanitize the entire cage. Like lysol sanitized.
Where do they even get giardia from though, or could they have had it this whole time and just not had an outbreak until now?
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Post by dianapalmer on Feb 7, 2014 16:08:19 GMT
I don't think we should jump to the conclusion that it is giardia.
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