Self Mutilation (Adopted Cockatoo)

[MySnugs]

Hi!

I will be adopting a cockatoo I've been pet sitting for over a year now. He's coming to me already as affectionate and loving as can be, we're quite bonded.

He's got a self-mutilation issue. According to his current owners, after an illness and recovery, he began self-mutilating to the point of creating an open wound that he ripped open over and over again, so that it won't fully heal. They keep him wrapped and collared, so that he can't correctly groom and preen, which I'm sure is furthering his stress.

When I have him, he is glued to me, and I will be able to allow that for him most of the day. He doesn't mutilate when he's able to get the attention he needs, so I'm hoping he'll be able to heal and no longer need a collar or bandage. However, when I'm not with him, I will need to be able to prevent him from picking.

I'd love advice on how to prevent picking, promote healing, and also: do you think he will be able to get over the self-mutilation and grow feathers back in?

 

[riddick07]

I'm gonna be honest there's a chance he will never stop what he is doing to himself. There's no way to know how he will respond to anything you do to try and help. If you are not able to handle a bird that will never stop the mutliation than do not get it. If you can't handle waking in with blood spray on the floor and wall do not get him. If you don't have a good avian vet and emergency one in the area don't get him. If you can't handle him going a little batty with no desire to talk to you or be near you at all after you have collared him than don't get him. Again I'm just being honest here and want to make sure you really understand that this is something that may never be solved and that gapping holes may be normal for the rest of his life. Mutilation is its own special kind of frustration than just plucking.

First get a collar or suit for him. Even if he would like to stop the irration of the scab will cause him to mess with it, so you will need something. Second take him to an avian vet so they can rule out any lingering health issues being the cause.

If it's not health then....

What does he eat? Does he play with toys and know how to play with them? Does he get frequent baths? How is he on independence and self entertaining?

Even if you want to shower him with love and constant attention DONT. There will come a time when you can't keep up such a constant all consuming schedule and he will show his devastation through ripping himself apart even if you have gotten him to stop. Once a bird has copped though mutilation that is how they cope in the end period. Yes you can reduce it, maybe even eliminate on the surface but in the right situation and trigger it'll pop back up like he never stopped. Possibly even worse then ever.....so set him a schedule where he and you can succeed in the long run.

You'll have plenty of little successes. Celebrate them even as he goes back to mutilating. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and don't take it personal when even you do everything possible he does it again and again. You will want to...you will ask what your doing wrong...but it's not you and thinking that way will frustrate both you and the bird. Just accept that it is a balancing act that you will both fail at every once in awhile.

On the preening don't worry about it. As long as you give him some baths and out of collar time with you at least once a week you will be good to go. Yes a collar can be frustrating but most birds adopt surprisingly well to them. Make sure he has lots of toys to destroy and something to preen if he so desires.

 

[SailBoat]

riddick07 advice ranks at or very near the top of Too advice that I have ever seen.

To that end, I have nothing to add with the exception of:

There is a cloth collar on the market that seems to be more acceptable for the parrot.

We also deal with a parrot with an open wound. Work with your Avian Vet, there are a couple of medications that help with the wound.

The additional comments regarding an Avian Vet and after hours emergency service is important, because you will be an after hours client.

Really good advice is commonly blunt. And, riddick07 advice is very blunt and very accurate.

 

[riddick07]

I'm glad I'm finally starting to generally sound like I know what I'm doing occasionally...it had to happen in some part of my life...right

I guess I should have mentioned that the collars should be soft easier for the bird to deal with everyday. These are some of the people we have used at the shelter to make collars for us.

Steff Mueller
https://www.facebook.com/Birdpreferr...=page_internal

Pam Skidmore
https://www.facebook.com/ProtectiveParrotPetalsByPam

Patti Lenaire
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Picky...=page_internal


Thosee are the type of collars I use for my own mutilator. Folger my mutilator wearing his collars.



I don't use the bodysuits but I can get you pictures of some of the shelter moluccans wearing them if you would like. At the shelter we just had one moluccan go into surgery to get her mutilation scab off and an umbrella chew a nice hole in her leg I believe it was. The umbrella especially was doing well but then something set her off and she was at the vet from her mutilation.

 

[riddick07]

In case you pop back up and would like to see what these vest/suit things look like. They have Kevlar in them to try and compete with that moluccan beak.