LouM
New member
- Aug 19, 2019
- 11
- 0
- Parrots
- Charlie - Blue and Gold Macaw
Hi everyone!
Iāve had my blue and gold macaw Charlie bow for about 6 years and believe his age to be around 19/20.
When I first got him his feathers werenāt in great shape as he lived with a cat breeder and the kittens used to play with them through the bars etc. Within a few months and after a pellet change and a molt he had amazing feathers, so vibrant.
The problem started maybe 3 years later, we had moved to a different house, he had his own room and has his own double cage and whilst showering him in the bath one night I noticed his preen gland was big. I squeezed a little and pus came out. I took him to the vet and we gave him antibiotics. It went down and things were ok. Charlie has never had a great diet. He doesnāt really like veg, no matter what I try. He will eat bananas and apples and of course anything heās not meant to eat! He is on Harrisonās high potency Coarse which he has available at all times and low sunflower seed mix. We took it that he was lacking in vitamins from his poor diet choice.
Fast forward and this problem kept reoccurring, to the point now that he doesnāt pluck but over preens his feathers. I took him to a different vet where they took bloods and a culture from the gland and sent it off to see what it was. They sent me home with antibiotics and a week later rang and said there was nothing on the bloods and that the culture said there was no infection present so then prescribed anti inflammatories. Itās likely thereās a āsacā in there that just keeps refilling. They said they could remove the gland but obviously then he would have no oil so to me would not stop over preening. The gland has remained under control but I canāt break the habit he now has of the preening. The diet still isnāt great but I add avimix powder on top of his food, he has a UV light, heās never been interested in toys from the day I got him, I regularly spray him etc, I make sure he has least 12 hours sleep and cover him over. I recently had the vet look at him again and he is now on fluoxetine to try break the habit. My question is how long til I should start to notice a difference? What else can I try? One option Iād like to is a vest but I canāt find any UK sellers! Iām at my wits end, I feel like I originally saved him from somewhere and now he looks worse than when I got him!
Any help would be appreciated!
Iāve had my blue and gold macaw Charlie bow for about 6 years and believe his age to be around 19/20.
When I first got him his feathers werenāt in great shape as he lived with a cat breeder and the kittens used to play with them through the bars etc. Within a few months and after a pellet change and a molt he had amazing feathers, so vibrant.
The problem started maybe 3 years later, we had moved to a different house, he had his own room and has his own double cage and whilst showering him in the bath one night I noticed his preen gland was big. I squeezed a little and pus came out. I took him to the vet and we gave him antibiotics. It went down and things were ok. Charlie has never had a great diet. He doesnāt really like veg, no matter what I try. He will eat bananas and apples and of course anything heās not meant to eat! He is on Harrisonās high potency Coarse which he has available at all times and low sunflower seed mix. We took it that he was lacking in vitamins from his poor diet choice.
Fast forward and this problem kept reoccurring, to the point now that he doesnāt pluck but over preens his feathers. I took him to a different vet where they took bloods and a culture from the gland and sent it off to see what it was. They sent me home with antibiotics and a week later rang and said there was nothing on the bloods and that the culture said there was no infection present so then prescribed anti inflammatories. Itās likely thereās a āsacā in there that just keeps refilling. They said they could remove the gland but obviously then he would have no oil so to me would not stop over preening. The gland has remained under control but I canāt break the habit he now has of the preening. The diet still isnāt great but I add avimix powder on top of his food, he has a UV light, heās never been interested in toys from the day I got him, I regularly spray him etc, I make sure he has least 12 hours sleep and cover him over. I recently had the vet look at him again and he is now on fluoxetine to try break the habit. My question is how long til I should start to notice a difference? What else can I try? One option Iād like to is a vest but I canāt find any UK sellers! Iām at my wits end, I feel like I originally saved him from somewhere and now he looks worse than when I got him!
Any help would be appreciated!
