upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

No she doesn't.
She will lift her wing and just yank at feather stems. She is not preening or grooming. Despite the fact she likes to bath she always looks ungroomed because of the raggy feathers.

bostonbudgie wrote:No she doesn't.
She will lift her wing and just yank at feather stems. She is not preening or grooming. Despite the fact she likes to bath she always looks ungroomed because of the raggy feathers.

Mateo always seems to be preening/picking - it's sometimes hard to tell the difference, but then I notice he'd spending a lot of time on one spot, going over and over it again...

I can't say that the Neo Pre-Def is working. It would have noticed an improvement by now, wouldn't I? I'm going to to call the vet this week and see what's next.

Is the bare skin less red?

Bluesbird Exotics wrote:Is the bare skin less red?

It does look less irritated, but not less red. It's just BARE! Did you see the pic I posted above?

I did see it, but didn't know if the skin color in it is different from earlier. I still think skin that red suggests fungal infection -- but I'm no vet. My bird who plucks has had many tests done. When I've asked about testing for fungal infection, my avian vet said he thought it wasn't fungal because her skin isn't red or unhealthy looking in any way. At first I thought Mateo's redness might be from his allergic reaction to some ingredient in the Avi-Soother, but it seems like enough time has passed since you stopped using it for an allergic reaction to have subsided. Oh, don't forget to ask your vet if you need to do something to get the Soother residue off Mateo.

Bluesbird Exotics wrote:I did see it, but didn't know if the skin color in it is different from earlier. I still think skin that red suggests fungal infection -- but I'm no vet. My bird who plucks has had many tests done. When I've asked about testing for fungal infection, my avian vet said he thought it wasn't fungal because her skin isn't red or unhealthy looking in any way. At first I thought Mateo's redness might be from his allergic reaction to some ingredient in the Avi-Soother, but it seems like enough time has passed since you stopped using it for an allergic reaction to have subsided. Oh, don't forget to ask your vet if you need to do something to get the Soother residue off Mateo.

Yeah, he still smells a little like that Soother stuff. I'm surprised he hasn't molted yet. It's been four months now and...well, it seems like he molts a few times a year.

The skin itself looks fine...just bare. It doesn't look irritated or unhealthy. It looks just like the skin you'd see under his neck feathers when you blow away the feathers...it's just sparsely populated.

callisto9 wrote:

Bluesbird Exotics wrote:I did see it, but didn't know if the skin color in it is different from earlier...

...The skin itself looks fine...just bare. It doesn't look irritated or unhealthy. It looks just like the skin you'd see under his neck feathers when you blow away the feathers...it's just sparsely populated.

callisto9 wrote:It does look less irritated, but not less red. It's just BARE!

Okay, I'm officially confused When you were using the Soother, you said his skin was RED. The picture from Sept looks, to me, much like the one you posted today. The other one you posted earlier isn't dated, but looks less red and less bare, so I assumed it too was taken awhile back. Now you're saying the skin looks fine but not less red. How does RED from the 18th compare with fine but not less red today?

Bluesbird Exotics wrote:Okay, I'm officially confused When you were using the Soother, you said his skin was RED. The picture from Sept looks, to me, much like the one you posted today. The other one you posted earlier isn't dated, but looks less red and less bare, so I assumed it too was taken awhile back. Now you're saying the skin looks fine but not less red. How does RED from the 18th compare with fine but not less red today?

OK, let my clarify.

The first pic I posted was earlier on - several months ago. The area under his wings has ALWAYS been red, but all his skin is red/pink - that's what color they are under their feathers. When using the AviX Soother Plus cream, the area seemed more red and irritated. I stopped using the cream, and the area is still red, but doesn't seem as bad. However, over time, the area of baldness has spread. SO, his skin only seemed irritated when using the AviX cream, but over time, he's more bald than he used to be.

Does that make sense?

IS Mateo still picking? Do you see a difference AT ALL using the neo-predef?

bostonbudgie wrote:IS Mateo still picking? Do you see a difference AT ALL using the neo-predef?

He definitely looks better than using the cream, and some of his stuff is starting to grow back in, but I feel like I'm at the same place I was before using the AviX cream. I would not say the Neo Pre-def has helped. I think he looks better only because I've quit using the cream. He's still bald under there, but I'm really anxious to see how it goes after his next molt...which oddly enough hasn't happened yet.

So no, I can't say the Neo Pre-def has done anything. I stopped using it a few days ago 'cause I was only supposed to use it for 10 days. I need to call the vet and see if I should continue to use it or we should try something else.

Mateo is doing well though. Same goofy self.

Is Mateo still picking though? I would not suspect any feather growth for a while anyways unless it is solved on WHY he picks
Ask the vet when you talk to him/her if there could be a possibility of a fungal problem. I sometimes suspect Button might have picked something up when she stayed at a boarders.(She was 6 months old) She started picking after that.....
Button still picks, but not as viciously since I've stopped giving her carbs (white rice, pasta and muffins)

bostonbudgie wrote:Is Mateo still picking though? I would not suspect any feather growth for a while anyways unless it is solved on WHY he picks
Ask the vet when you talk to him/her if there could be a possibility of a fungal problem. I sometimes suspect Button might have picked something up when she stayed at a boarders.(She was 6 months old) She started picking after that.....
Button still picks, but not as viciously since I've stopped giving her carbs (white rice, pasta and muffins)

I haven't seen him picking, but in all fairness it's been a busy couple of days. I've had him out, but have not noticed any picking. I'll report back when and if I do. I still need to call the vet, too.

I just noticed your budgies in the lettering of "birdy". They are beautiful. That grey one (Nigel) has a very different coloring.
Budgies crack me up. They are cute but soooo bratty
I had this one cute little female named Dexter that would groom Button when she was a baby.It was the cutest thing.
Sadly, poor little Dexter died of a kidney tumor

bostonbudgie wrote:I just noticed your budgies in the lettering of "birdy". They are beautiful. That grey one (Nigel) has a very different coloring.
Budgies crack me up. They are cute but soooo bratty
I had this one cute little female named Dexter that would groom Button when she was a baby.It was the cutest thing.
Sadly, poor little Dexter died of a kidney tumor

We just figured out Nigel's a "she" last week. Her cere was mostly brown, but always had a hint of blue in it, too. Well, Oliver finally made his move and mounted Nigel last week! So now Nigel lives with the ladies. We don't want parakeet eggs!

I love parakeets so much. I have to admit though, the males are much more entertaining. I love my ladies, but Oliver just makes us laugh all the time. I've had over ten parakeets in my lifetime and sadly, most of them lived a short life. I think parakeets are a crap shoot for a pet as far as longevity goes. Our first one lived to be seven, but it seems like everyone we had after that only lived 2-4 years. We're on a good streak now though; Oliver is about four and the rest are younger, but knock on wood, none have any issues.

Just wanted to add to this post...

callisto9 wrote:Food/diet: I just recently got Mateo off Kaytee Exact Rainbow Cockatiel pellets, as they had ethoxyquin in them, a potentially harmful preservative. Mateo ate those for nearly four years. He’s currently on Harrison’s High Potency Fine (seems to like these) pellets along with some Roudybush Daily Maintenance pellets, TOP Organic Pellets (which he doesn’t seem to like – too big) and Laber’s Parakeet. He also gets Lafeber’s Nutriberries, Lafeber’s Avicakes, some seed and water from our tap. He does not get any fresh fruits or veggies (doesn’t seem to like them), but will eat eggs, bread and pasta. He has never been on any supplements or vitamins until now.

I don't recommend Kaytee but it looks like you've made a good switch! As far as fresh foods, have you tried making corn bread with fruits and veggies inside? How about offering sprouted seeds? Perhaps making a birdy omelette? Or making pasta with a few veggies mixed in? I've noticed that my birds eat better when they are given variety vs only a few foods at a time... so I mix cooked grains, cooked legumes, steamed/fresh/frozen veggies, and some fresh fruits together. I might add in sprouted seeds, or perhaps some spices or other supplements. Of course being that I have smaller birds, a lot of that food goes through a food processor making a gloop of sorts, so they can't be too picky about what foods they eat.

You may want to check out the following post about ideas on foods you can feed...
cockatiel/topic95246.html#p131620

You may want to try bottled water over tap. Some birds do better with a change of water source.

Regarding the problems you've been seeing, well I'm just as stumped!

callisto9 wrote:Something I was thinking about...the only cases I've heard of a cockatiel picking like this where when the cockatiels were lutino. I found one or two others on another forum that had pickers/bald under wings and they were lutino cockatiels, too. I've also read that lutinos are more "jumpy" (prone to more night frights) and you know, they have that bald spot on their head...I was just wondering if there's anything to that? I have yet to find a non-lutino with bald/picking issues that's giardia-free and I've searched about 5 of the popular bird forums. Maybe there's a genetic/breeding component here?

Just to give you a heads-up, I have a WHITEFACE cockatiel who picks, too! She mutilates the end of her wing-tips, one side moreso than the other. She's also overpreened her mate (or so I can only assume). I believe this more behavioral than medical due to the fact of the home she came from, although I have not gotten any tests done on her.

Lutinos may be more "jumpy" because their eyesight may not be as good as a normal cockatiels. Therefore, things effect them differently.

bostonbudgie wrote:Yes, I had read that lutinos are prone to picking as well
In the book "A guide to Basic Health & Disease in Birds' by Dr Micheal Cannon on pg 61-62 there is this "lutino cockatiel syndrome" where it states they are more prone to disease and may appear to be mentally retarded.

Lutinos, or any albino for that matter, are more prone to diseases and skin issues because they are 'inos. If you research albino in humans, you can better understand why.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albinism

callisto9 wrote:We just figured out Nigel's a "she" last week. Her cere was mostly brown, but always had a hint of blue in it, too. Well, Oliver finally made his move and mounted Nigel last week! So now Nigel lives with the ladies. We don't want parakeet eggs!

I love parakeets so much. I have to admit though, the males are much more entertaining. I love my ladies, but Oliver just makes us laugh all the time. I've had over ten parakeets in my lifetime and sadly, most of them lived a short life. I think parakeets are a crap shoot for a pet as far as longevity goes. Our first one lived to be seven, but it seems like everyone we had after that only lived 2-4 years. We're on a good streak now though; Oliver is about four and the rest are younger, but knock on wood, none have any issues.

Hens can have blue, white, tan, brown, crusty brown, or even reddish tinted ceres. Males, generally speaking, have pink, blue, purplish-blue, and rarely(?) tan. Males should not have any brown on their ceres unless there is a medical reason. Males should not have white on their ceres. Many budgies may not live long due to genetics, environment, accidents and health/diet. I've had one budgie live to 9 years (had him for about 5 years), but lost him due to a bacteria found on farms or those who work with fish (I hate fish and don't live on a farm or in a farming community - although there are people within a few miles of us who keep pigs, horses, chickens, turkeys, and perhaps some sheep or goats)... and the bacteria can cause 'sudden deaths' in birds... So if he didn't get that infection, he very well could have lived longer. Another budgie I got when he was esstimated to be 5-6 years old and I had him for about 5 years, so he passed on when he was 10-11, if not older. I never got his body necropsied, however. Budgies do have the ability to live 20+ years (I know someone who owned a canary that died short of it's 20th birthday) but many don't make it past 6-10 years of age. So here's hoping the rest of your budgies live a long and healthy life!




Any updates on Mateo?