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bostonbudgie wrote:hmmmmm....I know I keep asking you this but..do you see or hear Mateo yanking at his skin/feathers? or find bits from plucking? I can hear Button yanking at herself by her screaming and I find bits chucked around.It's awful but I am at my wits end......

Pesto wrote:I am about jumping out of my skin wanting to know what happened at the vet on Friday. Please let us know. Thanks

In regards to his baldness, I discussed the possibility of something fungal. While it might be the issue, we don't know and to test for it, we'd have to take a chunk of Mateo's skin and send it away to a lab somewhere to be biopsied. Though I didn't have a problem with doing that, my vet told me there aren't drugs/medication to treat for fungal issues specifically in cockatiels/pet birds (is that actually true?). Plus, even if we were to attempt it, like BostonBudgie said, it can be toxic to them and can compromise their health/liver functioning.

We then talked about lutinos and how they're so far removed from the "normal" normal greys of the wild. They are a little more prone to genetic deficiencies due to all the inbreeding that happened long ago (kind-of like dalmations and blue budgies) and Mateo does indeed have the bald spot behind his crest.

Mateo's diagnosis? Baldness. My vet suggested that I just learn to live with it and enjoy Mateo the way he is. After all the reading, research, tests, changes and forums I've been to, I'm inclined to believe this is the way to go. Mateo's health is good, his quality of life is good and he's happy. He's not picking or plucking, the area isn't irritated and the skin that I can see is normal (the vet is in agreement).

On another forum, a cockatiel was diagnosed with an infection in his wings. Any time he'd try to fly he'd scream, and he'd always be picking at them. 7 days on antibiotics and he's doing a lot better! Made me wonder if perhaps this was the same issue with Kiwi who self-clipped herself, although she did far more damage to one wing than the other. She never screamed when she took off "flying." However, she did start screaming when she grew in a flight feather (which I never expected!). I didn't notice that she stopped screaming after a couple of weeks, and due to the other case, I had to check her out. It's a common site to see Kiwi with a bloody face, but she may go a couple of weeks without a bloody face, then all of a sudden there's blood! (all from a wound on her wing) It's been a while since I've seen her with a bloody face, she's got tail feathers for the third time since I've had her, and her wings look fine, other than a scab which seems to be healing up nicely. I don't see her ever really flying, but if it were an infection, I can only hope it's gone now! And I know I need a new avian vet!

Mateo's protein level was a little low (but the rest of his bloodwork came back OK), so I'll continue on with the Lafeber powder added to Mateo's food. The vet did also mention this might be an allergy. That's something I may look into once he's well on his way with Harrison's.

MFids wrote:I suppose that's as good as news as ever!!!!

When it comes to meds, you need to determine whether or not the cure is worse than the problem. Although there may not be any meds made *SPECIFICALLY* for cockatiels, there are for avian species in general. And besides, meds for human infants as well as dogs are even used in avians. I myself have used baby aspirin, baytril and metacam for dogs, for the birds! Avian medicine is not quite as advanced as it is in other species, but we are certainly pretty close! So although there may not be as many avian specific medications, at the right dosages, medications for other species will work just as fine!

And if using meds that destroy the liver, it would be best advised to speak with the avian vet about using meds for the liver as well.

You also must remember that inos in general have some sort of genetic defect *BECAUSE* they are inos, not because they were inbred, even in humans. You could probably learn more about ino birds and possible issues because they are inos by looking up information on albino humans.

On another forum, a cockatiel was diagnosed with an infection in his wings. Any time he'd try to fly he'd scream, and he'd always be picking at them. 7 days on antibiotics and he's doing a lot better! Made me wonder if perhaps this was the same issue with Kiwi who self-clipped herself, although she did far more damage to one wing than the other. She never screamed when she took off "flying." However, she did start screaming when she grew in a flight feather (which I never expected!). I didn't notice that she stopped screaming after a couple of weeks, and due to the other case, I had to check her out. It's a common site to see Kiwi with a bloody face, but she may go a couple of weeks without a bloody face, then all of a sudden there's blood! (all from a wound on her wing) It's been a while since I've seen her with a bloody face, she's got tail feathers for the third time since I've had her, and her wings look fine, other than a scab which seems to be healing up nicely. I don't see her ever really flying, but if it were an infection, I can only hope it's gone now! And I know I need a new avian vet!

If you think it could be an allergy, then Harrison's is not the way to go! Roudybush Rice Diet is. Harrison's has a lot of allergen food in it (corn, wheat products, peanuts, soy, etc)

Although I'm sure the "baldness" can be frusterating, I'm glad that nothing was found! (and I hope that's a good thing and not a bad thing!)

bostonbudgie wrote:Thank you for sharing your results from the vet. What the vet says makes sense especially in your case with Mateo since he does NOT pick/tear at himself. Vets seem to push the Harrisons but ...hmmm..that is what is pushed on Button. However, she doesn't tear as much when she eats the roudybush rice pellets. I do not know if she has allergies to corn and wheat but corn products are inflamatory. I know she loves corn on the cob but she digs at herself more than ever after eating corn so I give her brown rice instead.
BTW there is a contest on wwwbirdchannel.com called "love my plucker" in which you tell your story about your feather plucker bird. I don't care about winning any prize but I entered it in HOPES that one of the BirdTalk vets reads my story and could offer me ANY other advice that I couldn't get from all the other vets I visited.
There probably isn't anything I can do other than what I am doing now since she is too sensitive to the anti-fungal meds and the fact she is a lutino (genetic issues)

MFids wrote:Harrison's is certainly bette than Kaytee!!! As for Pluck No More, well people have had varying results on it. Some suggest instead Avicalm and Featherific from Avitec.

bostonbudgie wrote:Oh yeah, I've tried "pluck no more" and a variety of other homeopathic remedies without any luck. I do think there is probably a fungal issue but the cure is worst than the disease...

bostonbudgie wrote:What was the bulbous thing under the wing? A feather cyst?
My older budgie Whook is a little bald under his wing. He doesn't pluck nor is he sick. He is just getting a bit old and it seems to take him longer for his molts.
Button is the feather tearer.Button used eat the colored pellets, then on to natural and Harrisons. I have her on the rice pellets now which she loves. At least it doesn't have artifical coloring, wheat or corn.