Ducky’s plucking problem

FlyBirdiesFly

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So last spring I noticed that Ducky was making squeaking noises when preening, and occasionally she was pulling out an immature pin feather. It was in the middle of a molt when she started doing this and she overall seemed really irritated. I tried turning on the humidifier and giving her more frequent spray baths but she continued.

I then took Ducky to my avian vet and got her examined, CBC, fecal exam, and mouth smear done. It turned out that she did have a mild bacterial infection, which quickly went away with some antibiotics. However, the over-preening continued even after the infection was gone. So I thought it was just the irritation from the molt and that it would go away as soon as the molt was over.

The plucking/over-preening didn’t stop, but it stayed the same for many months. It didn’t get worse and I wasn’t too worried about it. She mostly plucked under her wings, and she only plucked the pin feathers when they were first coming in.

In the past couple months or so, Ducky went through another molt. She had been through other molts since that one where she started plucking and the plucking didn’t really get worse. However, in this most recent molt, Ducky’s plucking has gotten much worse. I see her plucking daily, screaming in pain as she pulls out her pin feathers. There are large bare patches under both wings, on her legs, on the sides of her neck, along her back, and just yesterday I noticed the start of a bare patch on her abdomen. I don’t know what to do. As I type this she just plucked out another pin feather. She was at the vet for her annual checkup some time in January and nothing was found, in fact she got a great report despite the plucking. The vet basically told me not to worry about it and sent us home with a bottle of Aloe Vera spray, which didn’t work at all.

The plucking has really escalated since then. I’m worried that if I don’t do something to stop it, it will get even worse. I’ve been giving her the AviCalm supplement for two days and she’s still plucking, though I didn’t really expect it to work that fast anyway. What’s weird is that I’ve only ever seen her pluck pin feathers, never mature ones. I’ve only ever noticed her bleed once from plucking a feather with blood in it. I’ve been thinking of ordering a collar to try and break the habit, but I’m worried it will stress her out even more. Should I take her to the vet again to get more testing done? Or do you think this is behavioral? What could cause her to pluck? There have been no changes in her routine.
 

Laurasea

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Sorry to hear this... Cockatiels are a lot more rare to be birds that pluck...
I would suggest starting probiotics sprinkle if food, sell at Petco, or feeding active culture yogurt twice a week just a small amounts like the size of your thumb. Mine like the yogurt.
I'd probably get your vet to check again since he did have an infection in the past. And plucking the leg area makes me more worried could be infection or kidney issue..
 

LaManuka

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Oh poor Ducky, and poor you! It must be such a worry to have a plucker - I think the closest we ever got was a cockatiel we had years back called Kang the Merciless. She would pick at the odd pin feather very occasionally and utter that little squawk when she pulled one out but it was rare for her. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the pain caused by plucking a pin feather results in a burst of endorphins, rather like when people eat chilli peppers, it causes distress but they get addicted to the endorphin release!

I hope you are able to find a solution for her soon, Ducky is such a beautiful girl:)
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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I also read that plucking releases endorphins that can be addictive. I honestly think that’s what happened with Ducky, she started plucking because of the bacterial infection and she got addicted so she didn’t stop. Right now the most noticeable areas are her legs, they look like skinny chicken legs :( but other than that the biggest bald patches are under her wings. I just hope that she doesn’t start plucking her chest and abdomen as well.
 

ChristaNL

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Try the collar!
Make it a cloth collar first, if you can. They are far less annoying and hindering the bird than the rigid "plastic" ones.

If a bird screams in pain while plucking or ripping out a feather... selfmutilation / biting their own flesh as the next step is dangerously near! (And infections and death are next.)

Break this cycle asap.
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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Try the collar!
Make it a cloth collar first, if you can. They are far less annoying and hindering the bird than the rigid "plastic" ones.

If a bird screams in pain while plucking or ripping out a feather... selfmutilation / biting their own flesh as the next step is dangerously near! (And infections and death are next.)

Break this cycle asap.

Out of these, which collar would you recommend?

https://birdsupplies.com/collection...collar-velcro-attachment?variant=858197164051

or

https://birdsupplies.com/collection...gle-parrot-tube-collar?variant=19710412816443 (This one is a tube style collar that restricts neck movement)
 

ChristaNL

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Sorry...I have no practical experince with either of them, so I would be lying to you if I gave you a definitive aswer.

I woud get them both, just in case.


Always try the "light"-version first, because then you still have 'the bigger gun' when it is needed.


When D. started plucking like crazy (she was almost crazed with itchyness at the time) I made her a lot of life-vests/ modified socks.
(there are great youtube vids about this)

-> just cut of the toes and part of the ankle-cloth (the heel-part of the sock goes where the crop is situated so that is never restricted or squashed) make 2 slits for the wings and trim the toe-end so the vent/ cloaca area is free, so there is no soiling.

thy very cheap kiddiesocks till you figure out the size your bird wears - the ones with fluffy lose parts are the best, because no long threads will form when the birds pluck at them (choking/ entanglement risk)


She did not bite at her wings, so body-armour was all she needed, but to stop your bird reaching the wings you probably need a collar!
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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Ordered the fleece collar yesterday. I got excited because I saw a new pin feather on Ducky’s leg and I thought she was finally letting it grow, but she plucked it out after a few hours. I saw her pluck a pin feather from her abdomen yesterday as well and the bare spots on the sides of her neck and under her wings are getting larger. I don’t know why Ducky plucks, but at least the collar will give me enough time to make any adjustments while she can’t have access to her feathers.

A sweater or sock wouldn’t work for Ducky because she plucks her leg feathers and under her wings. If she only plucked her chest/belly/back then I would try one.
 
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EllenD

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I'm glad you're going to try a Collar, because they work extremely well with some birds, others are more difficult, so you just don't know until you try them...

You're exactly correct about plucking becoming an addictive-behavior...Typically birds don't start plucking themselves because of a psychological or emotional issue, they start plucking or over-preening because of a physical/medical issue, such as an infection, a parasite, a virus, etc. that causes either pain, itchiness, or both. And just like someone who takes a narcotic pain medication to relieve legitimate pain, they realize that not only does the narcotic take the pain away, but it also makes them feel good overall due to the release of endorphins in their brain. Well the same thing happens when a bird plucks a feather out, they get a release of endorphins that is the equivalent to something like a "Runner's High" or even an opiate narcotic. So they start plucking because they're itchy or in pain, and they continue plucking once the underlying-cause of the pain or itchiness is gone because they want that sudden "rush" from the release of endorphins it brings.

The idea of a collar is not only to allow time for all of the bird's feathers to grow back-in so they have no pin-feathers to pick at, but also to give their brains time to heal and time for them to basically go through "withdrawal" and to allow their brains and bodies to stop craving the endorphins that are released when a feather is plucked...It's extremely important to keep the Collar on him until all of his feathers have grown back-in and there are no more pin-feathers for him to pick at, which usually takes a couple of months. This will also allow his brain time to heal and it's addictive patterns to be forgotten.

If you leave the Collar on him until all of his feathers grow back-in fully (usually around 2-3 months), you take the Collar off, and he goes right back to plucking again, then the next step is typically getting together with your CAV and discussing putting him on a short-term anti-anxiety medication while he's again wearing the Collar, and again allowing his feathers to grow back-in fully and allowing his brain time to heal and fully withdrawal, but also with the assistance of the anti-anxiety medication....Then once all of his feathers grow back-in fully, you start to taper him off of the anti-anxiety medication, until he's been off of it for a good couple of weeks. Then you take the collar off again and see how he does.

I know a lot of birds who have done extremely well with the combination of a Collar and an anti-anxiety medication both at the same time, and then a slow taper off of the medication, then removal of the Collar. Some CAV's prefer to use a Benzo such as Valium, Ativan, or Xanax, however they can cause their own issues too, and I've seen so many people successfully stop their birds from plucking by using the combo of a Collar and a daily dose of Haldol, as Haldol isn't as strong in it's side-effects as the Benzo's like Xanax and Valium are, and the withdrawal from Haldol isn't nearly as long or as difficult either. Something to talk to your CAV about if just the Collar isn't successful...
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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Thanks for the detailed response. I am currently giving Ducky a calming supplement called AviCalm that isn’t working. I’ll try the collar for 2-3 months like you said, and if she keeps plucking we’ll go straight back to the avian vet.
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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Just gave Ducky a spray bath and managed to snap some pictures:

flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21190-a80bf27e-4efa-4b92-9fb0-e74d2120e181.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21189-976fc4f9-1f72-4e66-9e2d-5735e14c5cd7.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21188-a6ec7e84-69ba-452d-b1a0-8524227f2d7a.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21187-f6287652-b333-4264-b370-8ec73e4060f9.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21186-0c3559c5-ab71-4be2-b8a2-dbe1a391d495.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21185-3bffefb9-2668-420c-8432-8288fb473410.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21184-a2c07e8e-775b-4fa3-ade5-fed39d19de55.jpeg
 

LaManuka

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Ok Miss Ducky you wear your collar like a good girl and quit plucking your pretty feathers, you hear?!
 

EllenD

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Thanks for the detailed response. I am currently giving Ducky a calming supplement called AviCalm that isn’t working. I’ll try the collar for 2-3 months like you said, and if she keeps plucking we’ll go straight back to the avian vet.

I'm familiar with AviCalm, but it's not typically very successful at all, at least not in the long-term. AviCalm is a natural supplement, and while it's always good to try them first before trying a prescription anti-anxiety medication, it's typical for people who try holistic and herbal anti-anxiety supplements first to have to move on to a prescription medication such as a Benzo like Valium or to Haldol...And typically the bird's response to to the prescription anti-anxiety medications is much different and much more successful than it was to the AviCalm.

Just remember that there's nothing at all wrong with using a prescription anti-anxiety medication to help your bird stop his Feather-Destructive Behavior in the short-term, especially since you first tried the holistic/herbal anti-anxiety supplements first, which certainly have their place and are successful for some, but not for most. The key to giving your bird a prescription anti-anxiety med like Valium or Haldol, or even an SSRI like Prozac or Paxil, is using it in-combination with the Collar so that they absolutely cannot physically pluck themselves while they are on the anti-anxiety medication, and then also startering their taper-off of the medication after their feathers grow back-in fully, and doing the taper gradually, slowly so that they don't experience any other issues from stopping the medication. In my experience we typically allow the feathers to grow back-in fully, which usually takes around 2 months or so, and then we take the collar off of them once the feathers are all grown back-in fully but I won't start the taper from the Haldol until the collar has been off of them for about a week, so they can remain fully-medicated at the same dosage for the first week that the collar is off. Then at week 2 of having the collar off I start the taper from the Haldol, and usually decrease the dosage very gradually, so that the full-taper off of the Haldol takes another 1 to 2 months in-full. And this usually does work extremely well, especially with birds who haven't been plucking for a very long time, or who did start plucking due to a physical problem. It's all about patience, using the collar in-conjunction with the Haldol, and then allowing the bird a slow-taper from the Haldol so no other issues arise. Typically this works probably 70%+ of the time to stop the plucking completely, which is pretty good. (This only applies to the ones that can grow back-in fully, as sometimes the birds have actually damaged their feather follicles if they have been self-mutilators or pluckers for a long, long time)
 
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FlyBirdiesFly

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So should I take Ducky to the avian vet before I put the collar on her to get the anti-anxiety medication? I was thinking I was going to put the collar on her for 2-3 months first and see how it goes, then if she continues to pluck I would take her back to the vet and get the medication. The collar hasn’t arrived yet so there’s still time to get the anti-anxiety medication now.
 

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FlyBirdiesFly

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Re: Ducky’s

So the first collar I ordered ended up being wayyyy too heavy for poor Ducky. She could barely even hold her head up when I put it on her, let alone walk, fly, or climb. I couldn’t possibly make her wear it.

I ordered another collar from this lady who custom makes them just for cockatiels. They’re soft collars made of fabric but without the thick layers of fleece for them to preen. This one turned out to be perfect for Ducky.

The collar came today. Ducky was a bit freaked out when I first put in on her, but she adjusted quickly. She is still pulling on it but otherwise she is doing great with it. She can perch, walk, fly, climb, and eat with the collar on her. Ducky was a little frustrated that she couldn’t preen so she wanted extra scritches from me. She cannot reach any of her feathers as far as I know.

flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21215-f5e34b6e-b528-4c91-bb29-2a82ec33b534.jpeg


flybirdiesfly-albums-ducky-plucking-picture21214-63cf850b-4cf3-4667-a549-0f45f4bc641b.jpeg
 

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