Plucking Pionus

[mpinegar]

Hi,
I am new to forum and desperately needing advice or experiences. Last Tues & Wed. my 8 yr old Pionus completely clipped of all her feathers on her stomach lower back and legs. She has never plucked before. Only changes are a new canary (who is not in her room & who I pay practially no attention to) and we had a natural gas leak. THANK GOD none of my birds were killed. The smell was just reaching our end of the house when I ran into the kitchen and realized one of the burners was on with no flame. That was Monday and plucking began on Tues/Wed. Since then she's only plucked a tiny patch on one shoulder.

Took her to vet and he tested for Giardia and it was negative and he thought perhaps it was hormonal, so he gave me some suggestions for enrichment and totally "unsexy" behavior with my bird. ha. If she starts again he said to take her back for blood tests. I agreed with him and certainly will. I just wondered if anyone else has had this sort of thing with their Pionus?

Thanks in advance for any help/info you can share,
Michelle and Merlin the Pionus

 

[Mayden]

Firstly, glad you all seem to be okay.

Has she stopped plucking, or is she still doing it?

Did you tell the vet about the gas leak, I'm not sure but that may have had something to do with it.

 

[mpinegar]

She has not plucked any more feathers, of course there isn't much left she can reach but her head.

I did tell the vet about all changes and accidents in the past 3 mos. He didn't see how the gas could have any effect, but was going to try to do some research.

I am taking her back for blood tests to make sure she is OK, but I am beginning to think it is hormonal since she has stopped. Funny that she waited until age 8 to do it.

 

[suebee]

make a note of this, my nut always chips her feathers around xmas when she is hormonal, but this yr (her 2nd with me) she has clipped less

the un sexy behaviour is best way forward, this includes removing any hidey holes she may have, you only giving her rubs on her head