upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Well, I took her last week and had to call the vet yesterday to give her an update on Lola. Well, she's still chewing her feathers.

So I brought Lola in this morning for a crop swab. The dr. looked at her culture under the slides and saw everything was normal, but is still going to send it out to a lab for extra examination.

Geeze... I just dont know what else to do. She's still on her antihistimine. Just waiting on the test results for now!

Well hang in there Michelle. I think there are times when certain things can be attributed to plucking and feather chewing, but there are also times when it's just one of the birds' habits. We don't know why, but I'm hoping your vet can help rule out anything serious. She may just need something additional in her diet, or you may need to eliminate something.
If nothing comes back from a medical standpoint, you may need to look at her nutrition. Her little body might be better with a different type of pellet, or maybe her system doesn't handle much beta-carotene very well.
Just be patient and don't let her see your stress. I'm sure she'll be just fine
andrea

You may need to resort to a tube collar for awhile or intermittantly. My BHC chewed off all her tummy and leg feathers (except for the down) several times. All vet reports were fine also. The vet ordered a plastic tube for around the neck that we tape on and the bird can't bend down enough to chew feathers. Sounds awful, but it works and it isn't that tight and they can eat just fine. We just have to keep it off several hours a day during out of cage time and bath time.

Michelle&Lola wrote:Well, I took her last week and had to call the vet yesterday to give her an update on Lola. Well, she's still chewing her feathers.

So I brought Lola in this morning for a crop swab. The dr. looked at her culture under the slides and saw everything was normal, but is still going to send it out to a lab for extra examination.

Geeze... I just dont know what else to do. She's still on her antihistimine. Just waiting on the test results for now!

Hi Michelle,

I am sorry to hear that the antihistimine did not work. Hang in there...

You mentioned that Lola overpreens when she is out. Is it possible that someone in your family reacts and comes over and gives Lola a "drama reward"? Or could it be hormonal - does she view one of you as a mate? Just trying to think of possibilities...

Sometimes, changing the environment helps. Can you take her out to the mall, friend's house etc.?


Kate

Kate wrote:

Michelle&Lola wrote:Well, I took her last week and had to call the vet yesterday to give her an update on Lola. Well, she's still chewing her feathers.

So I brought Lola in this morning for a crop swab. The dr. looked at her culture under the slides and saw everything was normal, but is still going to send it out to a lab for extra examination.

Geeze... I just dont know what else to do. She's still on her antihistimine. Just waiting on the test results for now!

Hi Michelle,

I am sorry to hear that the antihistimine did not work. Hang in there...

You mentioned that Lola overpreens when she is out. Is it possible that someone in your family reacts and comes over and gives Lola a "drama reward"? Or could it be hormonal - does she view one of you as a mate? Just trying to think of possibilities...

Sometimes, changing the environment helps. Can you take her out to the mall, friend's house etc.?


Kate

Well, no one is giving her a drama award. and shes sitting on me right now and shes just chewing away! It's driving me nuts.

The vet will get back to me in a day or two with more extensive results of her crop swab. A friend told me about http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/giardia.html
thanks for your help!

I am sorry to hear that Lola is doing that to herself. Chili has done that for many years and I thought I had finally found a solution. I kept half of his cage covered and he completely got all new feathers and was looking just beautiful. But 2 days ago he began chewing them off. They were all laying on the bottom of his cage.

I am wondering if you just put up your Christmas tree? I used to think that it scared him, so I put up a tiny one last year. This year I put up a 3 foot tree on a table in front of the window. He has been very happy and I thought things were getting better. I know it is the caique breeding time and that could be it too. My female has been pulling at her tummy feathers too.

It seems that Lola is too young for the hormone thing yet, but Chili started pulling his feathers when he was a little over a year old.

I hope you can find out the problem.

Scootie wrote:I am sorry to hear that Lola is doing that to herself. Chili has done that for many years and I thought I had finally found a solution. I kept half of his cage covered and he completely got all new feathers and was looking just beautiful. But 2 days ago he began chewing them off. They were all laying on the bottom of his cage.

I am wondering if you just put up your Christmas tree? I used to think that it scared him, so I put up a tiny one last year. This year I put up a 3 foot tree on a table in front of the window. He has been very happy and I thought things were getting better. I know it is the caique breeding time and that could be it too. My female has been pulling at her tummy feathers too.

It seems that Lola is too young for the hormone thing yet, but Chili started pulling his feathers when he was a little over a year old.

I hope you can find out the problem.

Well..Lola will be 3 in May. We did put our tree up, but she started chewing before we put the tree up. But she actually likes the tree..likes the lights. I sit in the room where the tree is, its not in the same room as her cage. and we sit and look at the lights. I dont think that's it... Still trying to pin point the prob!