self mutilating// help my bird Oscar

[emma_oscar]

Hi everyone,

I just signed up for this page because i desperately need help with my lovebird, Oscar. He is a 8y/o male. Oscar is very special to me and my mom, but he has had an ongoing feather picking issue, which has significantly worsened over the past few weeks.

What started as harmless bald spots, has become self mutilation of the underside of his left wing. He has drawn blood multiple times and the injury seems to never heal. I have taken him to the emergency, and to his primary vet 4 times. He has taken antibiotics, pain medication and antidepressants. The vet told me to put a recovery collar until the injury heals. Oscar has now been wearing the collar for 4+ weeks, and every time he manages to remove it or stretch it, he immediately goes to reopen the wound. I have tried everything to make him stop self mutilating - from new toys, foraging, removing any hormonal triggers, and nothing has worked.

Oscar is now very at risk of infection and bleeding… Has anyone managed to find solutions to this issue that isn’t leaving my poor bird in a collar for the rest of his life?? I am extremely desperate. Please help me save Oscar.

(TW I have attached photos of his injury)

 

[LaManuka]

Welcome to the forums, @emma_oscar, but I'm so sorry for what you and your sweet baby are going through. I haven't ever had a plucker, (though I did once have a quaker with rather bizarre preening habits), so I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to watch Oscar hurting himself this way. While I can't personally offer you any solutions, perhaps the following articles may help you gain a little insight as to why it happens in the first place ...

Thread 'Plucking: A Search For Answers'

Mar 10, 2015

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations.

It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers in the floor of your bird's cage. It's even more shocking to see a bare patch of skin or a bleeding wound on your beloved pet. Each case is different and the reasons are numerous.

Parrots don't pluck in the wild. Consider that for a moment. Wild parrots face stress in their natural environments...

• Allee
• Replies: 57
• Forum: Plucking, Feather Destruction, and Mutilation

• 
• 

Unraveling the Truth of Feather Plucking

Greetings, friends! Here at Garuda Aviary, we rescue parrots from adverse, even desperate conditions. So unsurprisingly, we see a lot of parrots exhibiting plumage destructive behavior, also known …

garudaaviary.org

I hope that someone with a bit more experience with plucking/mutilation will weigh in with some advice for you soon, and I wish you and Oscar all the very best - I'm so glad you found us!

 

[emma_oscar]

Welcome to the forums, @emma_oscar, but I'm so sorry for what you and your sweet baby are going through. I haven't ever had a plucker, (though I did once have a quaker with rather bizarre preening habits), so I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must be to watch Oscar hurting himself this way. While I can't personally offer you any solutions, perhaps the following articles may help you gain a little insight as to why it happens in the first place ...

Thread 'Plucking: A Search For Answers'

Mar 10, 2015

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations.

It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers in the floor of your bird's cage. It's even more shocking to see a bare patch of skin or a bleeding wound on your beloved pet. Each case is different and the reasons are numerous.

Parrots don't pluck in the wild. Consider that for a moment. Wild parrots face stress in their natural environments...

• Allee
• Replies: 57
• Forum: Plucking, Feather Destruction, and Mutilation

• 
• 

Unraveling the Truth of Feather Plucking

Greetings, friends! Here at Garuda Aviary, we rescue parrots from adverse, even desperate conditions. So unsurprisingly, we see a lot of parrots exhibiting plumage destructive behavior, also known …

garudaaviary.org

I hope that someone with a bit more experience with plucking/mutilation will weigh in with some advice for you soon, and I wish you and Oscar all the very best - I'm so glad you found us!

Thank you for sending me this article - it was a great read. I believe the vet told us the most likely reason for Oscar’s plucking was hormonal and behavioural. Hopefully we can figure out a solution.

Emma & Oscar

 

[kme3388]

Hi there,

Did you buy your collar online? If it’s not a good fit, or has Velcro/snaps the beaks can get them off. Considering your beautiful lovebird has an open wound you really should contact a vet for management. Parrots are notorious for picking at wounds. You want to find an avian vet as they can also train you on collars, how to use them, and different ones depending on the situation.

Just make sure your parrot gets good sleep 12 hours (uninterrupted). Do research on parrot diets. Parrots need attention because of their flock mentality so out of cage time is important daily to be honest. I train with my parrots which they really enjoy, and thrive off of. Also trade out toys, and rearrange the cage often for mental stimulation.

 

[kme3388]

If you live in the United States there are some larger parrot organizations (shelter/sanctuaries/rescues) that offer parrot training and education. They are doing to have experience with the feather pluckers. These organizations commonly deal with feather pluckers. This would be a really good resource to contact as well. They trained me on how to take a collar on & off my parrot. You don’t really want to leave a collar on for months on end. You want to give the parrot the ability to preen, and stretch out its neck.

 

[emma_oscar]

Hi there,

Did you buy your collar online? If it’s not a good fit, or has Velcro/snaps the beaks can get them off. Considering your beautiful lovebird has an open wound you really should contact a vet for management. Parrots are notorious for picking at wounds. You want to find an avian vet as they can also train you on collars, how to use them, and different ones depending on the situation.

Just make sure your parrot gets good sleep 12 hours (uninterrupted). Do research on parrot diets. Parrots need attention because of their flock mentality so out of cage time is important daily to be honest. I train with my parrots which they really enjoy, and thrive off of. Also trade out toys, and rearrange the cage often for mental stimulation.

Hi, thanks for the response.

So we went to the vet and they gave us this hard plastic collar which Oscar chewed up and removed, so now he wears a felt collar from Amazon (in the photo) which allows for better movement but still isn’t great due to the Velcro. Do you have any suggestions? The one from the vet was very poor for mobility.

Also, I’ve already contacted the vet about Oscar’s injury, and all they say is to give it time to heal… I feel very helpless and it doesn’t seem to be healing at all.

Any tips on how to get Oscar to eat more vegetables and fruit? He has very little interest in them.

Emma

 

[rheashard2]

Welcome. Sorry about your problems. I agree with above about the articles. Please see an avian get it at all possible about using a collar. Birds use their necks for everything especially balance. Long term use of collars can lead to problems. Your vet will select the appropriate size and material for you. The vet may have instructions about it's use. I was instructed to remove my CAG's collar for 30 minutes or longer several times a day. Off time depending upon if/when toe injury was bothered. Check out threads here about diet, sleep and behavior. There's foods that will stimulate hormones. Petting anywhere except head can also be a stimulus. My avian vet is a firm believer in distraction. Toys; chew, interactive, foraging in a variety of textures are encouraged. Even bouncing/catching a tennis ball while walking about can be a distraction. You have my prayers .

 

[LaManuka]

Hi, thanks for the response.

So we went to the vet and they gave us this hard plastic collar which Oscar chewed up and removed, so now he wears a felt collar from Amazon (in the photo) which allows for better movement but still isn’t great due to the Velcro. Do you have any suggestions? The one from the vet was very poor for mobility.

Also, I’ve already contacted the vet about Oscar’s injury, and all they say is to give it time to heal… I feel very helpless and it doesn’t seem to be healing at all.

Any tips on how to get Oscar to eat more vegetables and fruit? He has very little interest in them.

Emma

Is it possible for you to get your hands on some Medihoney to assist with Oscar's wound? It has wound healing and antibacterial properties and can help to reduce the risk of infection. I have some on standby in my medicine cabinet just in case any of my guys ever need it.

 

[nkrbkr]

Hi Emma! I’m very sorry to hear about your poor guy! What is Oscar’s current daily diet? I have a male peach-faced lovebird, and he eats a daily diet of chop (veggies, cooked grains, & cooked legumes) in the morning, & healthy pellets in the afternoon/evening. He is VERY sensitive to diet. Any small deviations make him very hormonal. He doesn’t eat any seeds/nuts/fruit in his daily diet, and only has them as treats. I can send some info on diet conversion, if you’d like? I recently rescued an Amazon, and converted her to the same healthy chop & pellet diet as my lovebird.