Too plucky, when birds go bald
By Gina Spadafori - Universal Press Syndicate
My first parrot, Patrick the little Senegal, was a reclamation project. He’d been abandoned at his veterinarian after attempts to combat his desire to pick himself naked failed, as did his first owner’s enthusiasm for keeping a bird who looked like a, well, plucked chicken.
With the help of a top avian veterinarian — my Birds for Dummies co-author Dr. Brian Speer — we got most of Patrick’s plumage to regrow. But the desire to self-destruct never truly left him, and he died after an attempt to repair a hole in his chest he’d dug himself, for reasons only his own troubled bird brain could fathom.
Eddie the caique parrot, who lives with me now, is a bird of far fewer physical and mental torments, and I’ve worked hard to keep him that way. The combination of a better start in life and an owner dedicated to keeping him healthy and happy shows in his healthy plumage and playful outlook.
But I know that this could change, despite my best efforts.
If there’s one parrot problem that has both bird owners and veterinarians pulling out their own hair in frustration, it would have to be feather-picking, a bird’s willful destruction of his own plumage.
The first thing you need to know about this problem: Feather-picking is a symptom of something else that’s wrong with your bird. The only hope you have of “curing” feather-picking is finding out and treating what’s behind the behavior. Feather-picking relates to a staggering variety of problems, and any one (or any combination) of the following can be at the bottom of your bird’s plucking.
Health problems Medical conditions behind feather-picking include allergies, parasitic infections, bacterial infections, abnormal growths (cysts) in the feather follicle, internal health problems, vitamin deficiencies and hormone-associated problems. And that’s the short list.
Low humidity Many bird species originally come from extremely hot and humid environments, and our houses can’t hope to duplicate the conditions of a rain forest (we’d be miserable). The dry, cool air of most houses can be a factor in feather-picking and can also set the stage for some secondary medical problems.
Boredom and pent-up energy Birds are active and intelligent, and they don’t handle the strain of being forced to sit around in a cage all day very well. Without things to play with and stuff to destroy, and without being able to get out of the cage and exercise, birds may direct all their energy toward self-mutilation.
Psychological problems Although birds need to have their wings trimmed for safety, a bad wing trim — too short, with no allowance for an “easy landing” — can upset a bird so badly that he starts tearing at himself. Obsessive-compulsive disorders can also trigger feather-picking.
Attention-seeking You love how your bird looks. He starts tugging at feathers and you freak out, imagining your beautiful bird with the broiler-chicken look. Every time he touches his feathers — even for normal preening behavior — you rush over. See how this works? “Aha!” thinks your bird. “All I have to do to get attention is pull a feather!”
What can be done with the feather-picker? First, forget the over-the-counter and home-remedy “cures.” They don’t work, and some might even put your bird at risk.
See a veterinarian with experience in caring for birds as soon as the problem appears. Medical problems need to be addressed before looking at any behavioral strategies.
Do this sooner rather than later. In general, the longer your bird has been picking, the greater the probability of an unresolvable pattern of behavior being set — as with poor little Patrick. Don’t wait a few years before addressing a picking problem. When it starts, you need to start looking for a solution.
After your bird receives a clean bill of physical health, start making environmental adjustments to see whether you can ward off the picking. Prepare for the project to be a long one! Start a diary to record your changes and any effects they may have on your bird’s behavior.
Start shaking things up, in small increments. A daily misting with a spray bottle and the addition of a room humidifier may be part of the solution. Also, consider these possibilities in the war against feather-picking: different toys, a smaller or larger cage, a new cage location, keeping a radio playing during the day, covering the cage to ensure your bird gets 12 solid hours of sleep, and more interaction and play with you.
Sadly, the definitive solution to feather-picking doesn’t exist.
The best you can do is be patient, work with an avian veterinarian and be prepared to love your bird no matter what he looks like. In some cases, feather-picking is for life. In others, the problem is only occasional. Yes, some birds do become full-feathered again, but not every pet bird is bound for complete redress in the plumage department.
TOYS, TOYS AND MORE TOYS
The most important thing to know about bird toys is that they are not designed to last. In fact, they are designed to be destroyed with glee, and that’s the way they should be.
Choose a variety of toys for your bird, rotate them frequently, and learn which varieties your pet likes best.
Food puzzles are especially good, because they make your bird work for his meals — good exercise for the mind and body both. Other good toys are made of material that’s fun for birds to shred.
Always buy from reputable sources, to be sure the materials and designs are bird-safe.
A constantly changing supply of bird toys is essential to the mental health of any avian pet and helps to combat behavior problems caused by boredom and pent-up energy.