Please help! Is this PBFD or some skin disease?

[Russel]

I have a 1yr.old male Cockatiel for a month and his back is itching.
No mites or flees, I checked. Acting normal, eating too, but suddenly itching his back. I have found 2 areas with irritated skin scratched on the left and right side on the back just above the tail. Bunch of unopened feather sticks, they come out easily, some feathers have fresh blood at the end and some have black blood. Anyone knows what is this?

 

[Russel]

hope this is not a PBFD

 

[Russel]

please excuse my English, more bird pictures

 

[LaManuka]

Well Russel from your original description I was going to suggest a blocked oil gland but looking at the pics I don’t think so. Whatever it is it’s clearly bothering your bird and may be painful so I think it’s best you take him to a specialist bird vet for correct diagnosis and proper treatment.

 

[Russel]

Thanks for the answer bro, but I live in a middle of nowhere in Russia and there are no bird vets around.
Tried some Moscow bird forums, but nobody there knows nothing either...
In addition, there are 2 more weeks of Xmas holidays left over here till middle of January and nobody's working. I've ordered a microscope from AliExpress to examine my bird's **** for parasites myself maybe, but I'm not a doctor and I'm afraid that he may not last for 2 months before I'll get my order.

 

[LaManuka]

You could also perhaps try a local vet who may deal with farm animals, including chickens and ducks? It’s always difficult to give an accurate diagnosis over the interweb and I’m not familiar with local conditions where you are, nor am I a health professional.

I hope you’re able to get some help for him soon because it must be very irritating for him!

 

[Russel]

Ohh boy, people die like roaches over here! No qualified medical help for humans, not talking about birds or other animals. Almost any disease is considered to inevitable death to animals around here and I'm trying to do what I can to save my Birdie's life! All good doctors ran abroad

 

[Laurasea]

Hi, I had to chuckle at the middle of Russia.... I can only image....
I am not a vet. But I don't think you are dealing with the dreaded PBFD...
I lean towards feather pluckers over preening. But you can understand I'm just looking at pictures over the internet, and like I said not a vet.

Are you are it is dark most of the winter?
I would try and keep her on 14 hours light and ten hours dark. ( Not putting a light right over her or anything)

I would mist her twice a week, do not let her get chilled. And offer her a shallow dish to bathe in every day, her choice to use it not.

Her cage needs more perche's , find a list of safe wood and branches you can use if you need to. But they need to be cleaned to remove any nasties. I'm not sure of the right way to do that....
And you need more toys. You can make lots of stuff yourself that she might like. You can use zip ties to thread some plastic beads for her to play with. Thread some paper through the bars if the cage, you can use old paperback books remove the glue parts or Staples. You can take plain cardboard and cut it into little stats or shaoes and punch a hole through and use a zip tie to hang in cage. Cut paper or shred paper to make little frilly things for her to pick at.

Only clean the cage and food and water dishes with vinegar and cold water, Rinse well and dry. Don't use hot water as it releases harmful fumes when heated. Also make sure there aren't any chemicals, lotions , or soaps that are used near her or on your hands.

Out of the cage time with you sim for 4 hours a day, or more.

Feed lots of veggies, we have a parrot safe food list here if you need it.

Don't pull any if the pin feathers. It kind sounds like molting started and the bird got irritating. Started over preening??

All of those things might help. If she's caused her self mutilation and gotten a skin infection I'm not sure what to offer.

 

[Russel]

Local conditions are: -12°C outside, which is just few degrees above the zero of Fahrenheit. 25°C indoors. He's not eating any fruits or vegetables, only grains. Humidity is very low, like 10-15% because of central heating and I'm trying to keep it up with the ait humidifier. Winter is almost half a year, October through April, so I'm trying to add some liquid vitamins to his drinking water. What else can I do for him?

 

[Laurasea]

I also see a lot of metal stuff. S d ait of metal is galvanized and not safe for birds. I would remove all the metal stuff, unless you are absolutely sure it is bird safe. If it's stuff you made your self from bells and clips like that. Pitch it.

 

[Laurasea]

Do not add vitamins to water!!!! It makes the water rot. Stop doing that.
You have got to work on veggie, and leafy greens, or even sprouting seeds. Scrambled eggs are good to offer a little of, cooked lentils, cooked oatmeal a little of. I'll go get the list.
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
Some birds know veggie are good for them and eat right away. Hang a leaf of romaine lettuce, or other lettaces that you eat in the cage, they will often nibble them.
Dried chill pepper still has vitamin A do you can offer it, or fresh seeds and all. Bell pepper is good to, red , yellow and orange have higher vitamin A levels. Shredded carrots, or cooked carrots.
You have to eat some if the veggies in front of them, share by hand, try to get them to steal from your plate. Birds learn from their flock, and that is you. Also you have to try chopped up in little pieces, or in chunks, cooked or raw. What ever he will eat. Offer in a shallow dish so he can see and explore the foods. Keep trying don't give up. It's the most important thing you can do for health,!!! Apples are generally liked, as us fresh corn on the cob sliced off. Never used canned anything. You can use frozen veggies that you thaw or cook for him. Plums and blueberries are good. But veggies and leafy greens have the most vitamins and nutrition. He can even have a little cooked pasta, a d any dishes you make yourself. No onions, no garlic, no mushroom.
Try to really get him trying lots of new foods it makes it easier for them to start trying even more stuff..

I don't think he has mites, or something like that. Not if he hadn't been exposed to other birds....
Since it's so dry, maybe do one very fine light mist over him once a day.

 

[LaManuka]

Don’t put any kind of additive into drinking water. You won’t know how much your bird is actually consuming and it may well just end up contaminating the water. Fresh green and/or leafy vegetables may be difficult to get where you are but even frozen broccoli (steamed then cooled before feeding) would be fine.

 

[Russel]

Thanks-a-lot for advices guys, I will try...
You, Yankees, helped me more than my russian comrades did. My respect and Best wishes!)
God bless you from Russia with Love! lol

 

[Laurasea]

Did you see the pitch all that metal stuff in cage? It could be toxic to your bird. Galvanized and zinc coated are toxic!

If you have fresh live culture yogurt, you can let him luck it from your fingers or give him about a teaspoon. Then you need to eat the rest or pitch it for safety. You can feed once a week.
You can also play soft music for him when you aren't there. I have a link on stress in parrots that might help.
Patterning to Music

Pattern him to some piece of soothing music. (I use Stephen Halpern’s Spectrum Suite for this). This idea is based upon techniques for self-hypnosis and meditation in humans. Simply described, if I meditate for 20 minutes every day to the same piece of soothing music, then after a few months all I will need to do is to hear the music to experience again the feelings of relaxation and peacefulness usually felt during and after meditation.

This works just as well for parrots. Once you choose the music, watch for times when your parrot is resting and relaxed and put the music on to play. Also play it when you put him to bed at night. Eventually, he will be patterned to relax every time he hears this same music. You can then use it during times of high stress, such as before and after a trip to the vet, if you must have any workmen come into your home for repairs, or during the holidays when stress levels in homes are higher anyway.
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/
Can click on links and get to the web pages if we put the links here?
And Big Love back at you Russia!!

 

[Laurasea]

Sendo you a little Florida Sunshine to cheer you I hope,! This is the first sunrise of 2020 in Florida!

 

[Laurasea]

I think that Lamanku comment about the preen gland had merit. It does look like something's is up with the gland. Some research shows that low vitamin A can play a role. Low vitamin A is a big problem with parrots on an all seed diet. So definitely get him eating veggies high in vitamin A

The uropygial area is located dorsally over the pygostyle, on the midline, at the base of the tail. Secretions of this gland are an important component in maintaining feathers' condition.
Synonyms
Preen gland, oil gland
Epidemiology
Species, Age, Sex
All species that have a uropygial gland and all ages and both sexes can be affected by uropygial gland disease presentations.
Genetics and Breed Predisposition
None specific, but certain avian species (e.g., Amazon parrots, hyacinth macaws) do not have a uropygial gland; therefore, they would not be susceptible to disease conditions associated with this gland.
Risk Factors
•
Trauma to uropygial gland
•
Self-mutilation/feather/picking around the gland
•
Impaction of the gland
•
Infectious cause (e.g., bacterial)
•
Glandular or ductular neoplasia
•
Nutritional deficiencies (e.g., vitamin A)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/uropygial-gland

Note : I don't think it looks ruptured or had a tumor or anything like that. But feather picking, stress , and low vitamin A
Inactive, Impacted, Blocked or Ruptured Oil Gland
A well-functioning oil gland will help a bird keep the feathers in good condition, in addition to water proofing and insulating the plumage.
Poor feather quality:
The gland occasionally gets blocked or stops producing some or all of its oil, at which point the feather quality typically deteriorates.
An impacted oil gland is usually clearly visible by the time you notice a difference in feather quality.
Seizures:
An atrophied oil gland can cause seizures. As the oil gland produces vitamin D3 precursors that are spread into the feathers as the birds preen themselves. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light, the precursors will be converted to active D3, which will then be ingested when the birds preen themselves again.

Testing an oil gland ...
Check for Swelling: The first course of action would be to part the feathers over the oil gland and check on the condition of the oil gland. If there is an unusual swelling, this would indicate an impacted oil gland.

Verify Oil Production: Gently roll the gland ("wick") through your fingers, and then check your fingers for greasy spots. If your fingers look and feel very oily, the oil gland is working. If no secretion are seen or felt, gently massage the gland and then check again. If you can only feel a little oil, the oil gland may not be functioning properly or may be completely blocked.

Possible Causes:
Tumor: The preen / oil gland is enlarged and distorted in shape. As a result the small feathers over the gland become raised and the tail feathers tend to fall out and not regrow.

Infection: An oil gland malfunction can be caused by an infection and a vet may prescribe Baytril or another broad-spectrum antibiotic for 7 - 14 days.

Stress can also cause a failing oil duct. This often happens, when captive birds are being picked upon by other birds in their environment. In this case it is best to separate them from the aggressive birds.

Malnutrition can also cause oil gland problems; such as Vitamin A deficiency. A proper diet and potential supplementation should be discussed with the vet. Adding wheat into your bird's diet may also help the gland to recover and produce more oil. To this end, some vets recommend adding SMALL amounts of fish oil to a bird's diet. Too much fish oil can get messy. Some people have added cat kibble with fish oil to their bird's diet instead. ( Not sure about this!)!


Treatment of Ruptured Oil Glands:
Ruptured glands must be surgically removed immediately; following the surgery, the plumage will obviously no longer repel water
Antibiotics need to be administered.
A drain may need to be inserted for a few days

Other potential treatments:
Antibiotics may need to be administered.
An impacted / blocked oil gland might be resolved with the use of hot packs (not too hot to burn the sensitive skin of a bird!). The hot pack should only be "warm". This "hot pack" held gently against the oil gland may help.
Gentle massage to the gland two or three times a day

Reducing stress and improving diet.


Some vets may suggest lancing the gland (releasing pus or pressure built up) Don't think you have to worry about that!!
https://www.beautyofbirds.com/birdoilgland.html