18 month female picking at foot

Lily is well mannered happy bird, with a varied diet. The household is
just me and quiet with established routine. Last Monday, I found her
picking at a tiny sore spot on one foot about the size of a match head.

I sprayed it with an Aloe spray. A few hours later I discovered it bleeding.
Rushed her to the bird vet, who fitted her with a collar, gave her two
injections, antibiotic by mouth to take home and an Aloe spray.

She hated the collar, did not make any vocal sounds, just sat on her perch,
she did eat some oatmeal and pellets on the second day. Frliday morning I
took the collar off because the spot was almost completely healed. She
spent all day preening and eating. Sat. morning she was happy and began
vocalizing--she is a talker and screamer. Then all of a sudden, I left her
without observation for about an hour, and looked at her--she has a large cage and sits on the top or goes inside--anyway she had reopend the sore and there was blood everywhere. No vet available, so I had someone
help me fit a collar, which is working.
Any insight into why she is doing this and it seems like someone needs to
invent a collar that has snaps on it, so you can take it off while the bird is
with you--and then snap it on, when you have to leave it!
I realize this can become a habit and want to stop asap. I don't think it is
the result of mites because she has not been anywhere since she was a
baby.

Welcome to the forum! Where is the area on Lily's foot that she is picking? If it is the bottom she may be having some irritation from a perch. Pressure sores can cause them to pick. There are several collars available. The Elizabethan collar does have snaps for use. I would not remove her collar till the sore is completely healed and then some.

greycloud said:

Welcome to the forum! Where is the area on Lily's foot that she is picking? If it is the bottom she may be having some irritation from a perch. Pressure sores can cause them to pick. There are several collars available. The Elizabethan collar does have snaps for use. I would not remove her collar till the sore is completely healed and then some.

Click to expand...

I agree with grey cloud! What type of perch do you provide?

It is not a perch problem, as she is out on top of her cage, on a portable perch, and
is with me when I move around the house. I believe she injured it slightly on something,
which caused an irritation.
She had the collar on for five days, as she did not eat or preen--removed it, she ate,
was starting to vocalize again and then for some reason began picking at it again. I just
got back from the Vet to fit another collar.
What is the name of the company that sells snap on collars?

The snap on collars are being sold at pet shops. The ones I buy mine at is Pet SuperMarket. They sell the snap ones for dogs in variety of sizes. I'm glad I never had to use it on any of my birds.....Cause IF my dogs hates it, I can only imagine what my birds would do....I had to use it on two of my dogs, one got in a fight and tore open his ear and he wouldn't stop scratching at it so collar goes on. The other one had a sign of ear mites in which I don't know where the heck he got it from except from strays that comes near my fences. Lots of cleaning ears and bathes, collar goes on him too cause he would scratch his ears to bleed. They run into everything with those collars on. I'm glad all that is done...