- Mar 27, 2012
- 1,023
- Media
- 8
- 2
- Parrots
-
Red Front Macaw, Elvis, 10,male RIP
Red Front Macaw, Erin, 1.5,female
Goffin Cockatoo, Blossom 2,female Rehomed
Blue & Gold Macaw, Oscar, Male, 21 years old, Rehomed
American Bulldog Mix,
Okay when got Erin her feathers were a bit ragged and edgey. I was told it was from fluttering around with the other birds and it would go back to normal. Well, it hasn't and is steadily getting worse. We've done everything. We switched her to pellets for a more nutritional diet, bought every different type of toy imaginable, even bought feathers she could preen (which she does, but still preens herself), we did medication (a $40 bottle gaurunteed to work, but didn't), bitter detterents (the water listerine mix and the store bought feather detterent, Fooey which tastes horrible and lasts for days), and we increased baths. We also spend more time with her (she gets more training and we have cuddle bug time every night too) and nothing works.
I'm thinking of getting a suit so she doesn't have access to her chest or back, but she over preens her legs and wings too, and I'm afraid she will preen them worse. Also was debating a collar, which will stop her, but I don't want to stress her and after a couple months of collar and we take it off I'm afraid she will go right back to it.
She's not stressed. She has grown to play with her toys (finally) and she loves to eat all day. She has a lot more time with us and we have her on a more nutritional diet. We've tried feather biting deterrents, tried medications, and extra baths. Her skin isn't dry and itchy. It just seems to be a habit. She will be in the middle of eating, training, cuddling or playing and will just randomly stop and preen.
It's gotten to the point where I can see lots of fluffy down feathers and she has "spikes" instead of feathers, because she over preens it to the point it looks like spikes, she leaves nothing but the feather's vein. Please help, I've tried everything but a collar. It's a habit I just can't break.
I'm thinking of getting a suit so she doesn't have access to her chest or back, but she over preens her legs and wings too, and I'm afraid she will preen them worse. Also was debating a collar, which will stop her, but I don't want to stress her and after a couple months of collar and we take it off I'm afraid she will go right back to it.
She's not stressed. She has grown to play with her toys (finally) and she loves to eat all day. She has a lot more time with us and we have her on a more nutritional diet. We've tried feather biting deterrents, tried medications, and extra baths. Her skin isn't dry and itchy. It just seems to be a habit. She will be in the middle of eating, training, cuddling or playing and will just randomly stop and preen.
It's gotten to the point where I can see lots of fluffy down feathers and she has "spikes" instead of feathers, because she over preens it to the point it looks like spikes, she leaves nothing but the feather's vein. Please help, I've tried everything but a collar. It's a habit I just can't break.