Feather Picking

[markn911]

Our Eckie, Jerry, decided to start picking his feathers out about a month ago. Me and my wife both noticed it right away and took him to our avian vet. The vet decided to put him in a collar and see if that would help. It did help but he can still get to some of his feathers. We took him back last week and they are having a jumper suit made for him and are also going to put him on Haldol.

Does anybody have any experience using Haldol?

thank you
Mark

 

[labell]

No experience with Haldol or collars actually. How old is your boy? Is he clipped? Can you post pics to see how, where he is plucking? What is his main diet? How often is he given a bath?
Has anything major happened that could have prompted him to start? There are so many things that can play into a bird plucking. sexual maturity, frustration, boredom, diet, some thing environmental possibly scaring him.

I have heard others say they tried Haldol or some other medicine that may have worked some or for a short time. I for one think I would be looking for the cause first and seeing if it can be curbed naturally first.

Do you see any other health symptoms such as wing flapping or toe tapping?

 

[MonicaMc]

Have you done any bloodwork on him?

 

[markn911]

Sorry for the late reply,I was waiting to get his blood work back....we did get it back and he his anemic so we are feeding some spinach to get that back to normal, all else with his blood is normal.
He is wing flapping a bit but no toe tapping. We feed fresh fruit and vegetables as well as nutriberries and a mix we buy from bird paradise made for African greys and eclectus parrots. It contains nuts, cuttle bone, pellets, cinnamon sticks and dried fruit. Right now we can't bathe him because of the collar. I think the problem is boredom, he is very attached to me and my wife, especially my wife. We both work and my wife does not have a set schedule so it's very hard for us to get in a routine with him. All he wants is to be out of his cage, the minute one of us gets home he starts flapping (not flicking, it's controlled) his wings, I read in a book it is begging. Out of his cage the feather picking seems to stop. We have tried changing his toys often but he does not seem interested in them. We also added a foraging toy but if it's not easy for him to get the food out of it he just gives up. I don't know how to post pictures but he is picking his back under his wings. He is not clipped and before the collar he would do laps around the lower level of our house.
He is on haldol now, but only for a few days so I don't know if it is helping.
We both love this bird and will not give up!!!

 

[chadwick]

wow, i work in the mental health field and they rarely presribe haldol to patients anymore....that drug is powerful and puts people right to sleep....that is scary

 

[markn911]

I agree, both me and my wife are pharmacists but I doubt the newer agents have been tried in birds

 

[labell]

Greens are the one absolute must that my eclectus get daily. Kale, dandelion greens, collard greens, arugula, spinach to a lesser degree, cilantro, watercress, one or two of these dark greens daily may help with the wing flapping and even plucking.

Plucking can certainly be boredom and missing your wife but accompanied by wing flapping has me thinking back to diet. Nutriberries are not great for ekkies if you look closely at them you will see dyed foods. Eclectus do not do well with vitamin fortified foods or artificially dyed foods.

Their diets are so specific that any issues related to them no matter whether they are physically or behaviorally exhibited, diet should be the very first thing you look at imho. There have been cases where eclectus even had problems with too much of a good thing. Fresh and varied is the key with them, with lots of dark leafy greens and red and orange veggies and fruit being high on the list of great things for them.

Wing flapping and/or toe tapping are diet related, can we get more of a break down of the foods you are feeding your boy?

 

[labell]

Are the pellets colored in the mix you are giving him from bird paradise? Does the dried fruit contain sulfides? Most non-organic dried fruits do, not good stuff.
I really would look at diet first with your boy.