please help

[Georgeandjessica]

hi I have 2 kakariki and the male one is pulling all his feathers out all around his face he is still drinking but not eating as much as he was tried some spray they gave at pets at home for the whole of today anything else I can do

 

[noodles123]

Have you taken him to a certified avian vet?
That would be the first step.
Are you sure he is pulling the feathers and not losing them for another reason?
Has anything changed recently?
How old is he?
Be careful with sprays---bitter-apple etc can contain alcohol and it isn't good for them.
If he isn't eating, try plain (luke-warm/cool) oatmeal with bird-safe fruit mixed in, or other novel/soft foods (again, BIRD-SAFE).
You could try adding some 100% organic juice (low acid....not OJ or anything citrus) to his water for a very temporary calorie fix, but it will have to be changed every few hours, as the sugar can lead to bacterial growth in the dish and that could be bad in what sounds to be an already sick bird.

You need to keep an eye on his food situation----sometimes a vet will have to syringe feed.


Also, what are you feeding him and how is the humidity in your home?
Does he get any natural light?

Finally, is the bird that he lives with the opposite sex and are they in the same cage?


I am just asking questions because, if healthy (with vet approval) there are a lot of things that could be causing this...
That having been said, my bird struggles to do anything to her own head, so I am wondering if this isn't more medical.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I'm with noodles! That's all great advice!

 

[Laurasea]

More information will help people help you. Can you post a picture? I would stop the spray, until you have medical advice.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your two kakarikis! None of us are vets but our combined real-world information and cautions may be of great help.

This does seem like a situation requiring a certified (or equivalent) veterinarian. Could you post some pictures, share some history, and let us know what sort of spray you are using? We'll do our best!

 

[EllenD]

Great advice above...You need to take him to see a Certified Avian Vet or an Avian Specialist Vet, especially since he is not eating...And please do not use any products that you can buy at a pet shop or over the counter, as you have no idea why he is pulling those feathers out. It could be something like a certain species of mites, it could be a feather-destructive behavior due to an environmental cause, it could be the other bird he is housed with pulling them out (unless you've actually seen him pulling them out himself obviously). So without knowing what they cause is, you cannot treat it at home, and certainly not with anything from a pet shop. Birds are extremely sensitive to everything and anything, and you could very-likely end-up making him worse by using something on it, or you could cause a whole other issue with that stuff.

If he does in-fact have something like mites, then it's also likely that your other bird has them too if they are housed together or kept in the same room. Until you get him to an Avian Vet, which needs to be done ASAP since it's effecting his appetite and could be a very serious issue, you need to separate him from the other bird into his own cage, and put his cage into a separate room from the other bird, as you need to do everything you can to protect the other bird from contracting the same issue if they haven't already. Also, you need to totally disinfect the cage that he's been in, and everything inside of it, the toys, perches, bowls, etc., in very hot water and bleach or F10 disinfectant, and then rinse it very well, as if it is some kind of parasite, they will be all over the cage and everything in it.