The Continuing Capers of Companion-ing Cotton
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Quakers usually brown or grey . phoebe( turquoise quaker) has grey, Penny ( green) has brown. Except can't help but say my rare blue eyes Pikachu( lutino)!
Sorry for the hijack
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Could be, but also he us now comfortable and knows how nice and warm it is. There us a little learning curve, as they learn how wonderful it is. Mine will snuggle right up to it when perfectly fine and healthyI think Cotton might be sore after his tumble - he's been taking his normal nap times right under the heaterI might try to mount it on the side of his cage instead but I need to make sure the bars won't get too hot.
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HeatherG
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Sounds like the logical result of a lack of melanin. Kind of like the Norwegian kids in my high school class. White yellow hair and blue eyes sounds very comparable to your Pikachu.
OP
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With the storms in our area right now, he's getting perfect weather even without the sweeter heater
Humidifier has been off for a few days.
After Cotton went into his cage for an evening snack and bedtime routine, I turned off the room lights like usual, then had a moment when I saw him of thinking he suddenly has generalized bruising all over - then I remembered his skin always looks this dark right before he pops a bunch of feathers. And also knowing bruises across an entire expanse of skin from multiple dings wouldn't be diffused all over. And sure enough he has a lot of new pins.
Poor guy must be perpetually itchy with these always trying to grow. He avoided both bath options today again. He is Not a fan of the times I've tried to mist him, up in the air fine spray to fall on him. But maybe I just have to anyway.
Humidifier has been off for a few days.
After Cotton went into his cage for an evening snack and bedtime routine, I turned off the room lights like usual, then had a moment when I saw him of thinking he suddenly has generalized bruising all over - then I remembered his skin always looks this dark right before he pops a bunch of feathers. And also knowing bruises across an entire expanse of skin from multiple dings wouldn't be diffused all over. And sure enough he has a lot of new pins.
Poor guy must be perpetually itchy with these always trying to grow. He avoided both bath options today again. He is Not a fan of the times I've tried to mist him, up in the air fine spray to fall on him. But maybe I just have to anyway.
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HeatherG
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Of course the greenish or bluish pin feathers make him look bruised. But I am happy to hear heβs getting a bunch and hopefully not picking at them.
I would be tempted to spray him gently anyhow, even if he doesnβt like it. Maybe spray above him so the most falls down, not into his eyes? Or spray some chamomile tea?
Collars can interrupt feather destructive behavior but they are stressful in themselves and Cotton is already stressed.
Peaceful music? Poppyseed? Benedryl? Meloxicam? Options I would enquire about since he is so very bare and this will be a lot of feathers.
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OP
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He has the local classical station on overnight (although last night that meant multiple weather alerts, poor guy) and different "chill" music parrot live streams during the day if I'm gone and seems to like it (? as far as I can tell).
I feel like a hard collar or bubble collar would make him miserable because of how much he climbs and uses his full neck range of motion. But I do wonder about a soft collar - I've seen some that are two pieces of fabric with a small piece of plastic inside to give it just enough structure to stick out like a mammal Elizabethan collar, but can still flex to allow for climbing the cage walls and ceiling....
I think you're right, he would benefit from being misted even if he doesn't enjoy it.
My vet wanted to wait until at least six weeks of doxycycline before talking about other medication options. And I've been procrastinating because giving oral meds would be difficult. But the clock is ticking!
I feel like a hard collar or bubble collar would make him miserable because of how much he climbs and uses his full neck range of motion. But I do wonder about a soft collar - I've seen some that are two pieces of fabric with a small piece of plastic inside to give it just enough structure to stick out like a mammal Elizabethan collar, but can still flex to allow for climbing the cage walls and ceiling....
I think you're right, he would benefit from being misted even if he doesn't enjoy it.
My vet wanted to wait until at least six weeks of doxycycline before talking about other medication options. And I've been procrastinating because giving oral meds would be difficult. But the clock is ticking!
HeatherG
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You could try making a pipe insulation collar. They are somewhat flexible but can be adjusted to prevent the ability to pluck. When my Lucy broke her leg the vet gave me this cone collar for her that completely put her off balance and miserable. I switched it out for a pipe insulation collar, just bought some pipe insulation from ace hardware and cut it to length, rounded the edges, and duct taped it on.
But I think that a systemic infection thatβs being treated and the fact that cotton has a bunch of new feathers and is leaving them alone thus far is promising and suggests maybe you and he will get by without that. Wouldnβt that be wonderful?!
OP
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It sure would be!
I wonder too how often collars work - there's absolutely a behavior component with Cotton since he spent so much time biting his long feathers into tiny bits before finally shearing then off at the base. A collar wouldn't keep him from getting to the feathers, really. And how likely would he be to continue as soon as the collar came off?
My vet basically wants to get all the other pieces into place first - diet, health, environment - before doing anything more intrusive for plucking, since so far π€π»π€π» Cotton doesn't start with plucking but goes there once he's bitten down to the nubs everywhere. He's had the little nubs for his flight feathers the whole time so hopefully he'll let them come in again when they do.
I think about this a lot, that Cotton is still young and could still potentially fly some day, if this isn't an entrenched behavior. And of course I want that for him. I meet a lot of people with mobility issues in my work, and parents that have to decide how far to go medically or surgically to maybe improve their child's walking ability. And parents that rearrange their lives to include their child who doesn't walk. They all deserve the chance to do the things they want to, and that doesn't always look the same as it does for able-bodied folk. Accepting a different reality isn't a good or bad thing, it just is. But it's got to be hard for parents whose kids are on the brink of physically typical or not to wonder which way things will go and to hope they're getting the right interventions along the way.
I'll probably edit and remove that last bit since it easily identifies my workplace so please don't quote it but it is something I've thought a lot about lately.
I wonder too how often collars work - there's absolutely a behavior component with Cotton since he spent so much time biting his long feathers into tiny bits before finally shearing then off at the base. A collar wouldn't keep him from getting to the feathers, really. And how likely would he be to continue as soon as the collar came off?
My vet basically wants to get all the other pieces into place first - diet, health, environment - before doing anything more intrusive for plucking, since so far π€π»π€π» Cotton doesn't start with plucking but goes there once he's bitten down to the nubs everywhere. He's had the little nubs for his flight feathers the whole time so hopefully he'll let them come in again when they do.
I think about this a lot, that Cotton is still young and could still potentially fly some day, if this isn't an entrenched behavior. And of course I want that for him. I meet a lot of people with mobility issues in my work, and parents that have to decide how far to go medically or surgically to maybe improve their child's walking ability. And parents that rearrange their lives to include their child who doesn't walk. They all deserve the chance to do the things they want to, and that doesn't always look the same as it does for able-bodied folk. Accepting a different reality isn't a good or bad thing, it just is. But it's got to be hard for parents whose kids are on the brink of physically typical or not to wonder which way things will go and to hope they're getting the right interventions along the way.
I'll probably edit and remove that last bit since it easily identifies my workplace so please don't quote it
but it is something I've thought a lot about lately.Keep following your plan with your veterinarian who seems to have a thoughtful and logical laid out steps.
Myself I haven't seen collars as the go too, there are risks with them. 4 vets consulted with Jax who had mutilated his body, they didn't want a collar, they felt mood altering medication was a better choice. My current vet also does not use them. But I understand there are alternative views.
Myself I haven't seen collars as the go too, there are risks with them. 4 vets consulted with Jax who had mutilated his body, they didn't want a collar, they felt mood altering medication was a better choice. My current vet also does not use them. But I understand there are alternative views.
HeatherG
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I think that the plan youβve made with your vet is a good one as well. I just wanted to point out this other type of collar which seems to be less bulky and upsetting, and the additional treatments Iβve either read about or tried with rescued plucking birds whoβd been given up on by their owners.
I wonder how much keeping the emerging feathers slightly damp would soften the feather sheathes around them and make their emergence less irritating?
Cotton isnβt chewing holes in his skin. Thatβs when a collar is needed, at least for a while (and those are the times Iβve used a collar). I would hope he may regrow his feathers after his infection is cleared and leave them mostly alone. Being sick and uncomfortable is a very good reason to pluck or barber.
I wonder how much keeping the emerging feathers slightly damp would soften the feather sheathes around them and make their emergence less irritating?
Cotton isnβt chewing holes in his skin. Thatβs when a collar is needed, at least for a while (and those are the times Iβve used a collar). I would hope he may regrow his feathers after his infection is cleared and leave them mostly alone. Being sick and uncomfortable is a very good reason to pluck or barber.
OP
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I appreciate ANY information even if it's not pertinent to Cotton. Everything I read helps me better understand the whole situation.
At the rescue he was on a calcium supplement when he started keeping his feathers, but I can't do that until he's done with his antibiotics.
I meant to do a fine mist in the air above him this morning before getting him up for the day, but totally forgot. Daytime and afternoon aren't his jam; he walks away as soon as he detects it. He's not scared of the sound yet at least, just moves out of the few teeny drops that land on him through the cage bars.
I just checked him on the camera and he's nibbling away at pins on his back π
Hm. I wonder what he'd do if I got a washcloth wet and placed it over his cage to drip?
I've actually been surprised he hasn't gone for bathing in the last few days when we've had such big rainstorms. I have a metal patio roof, so rainfall is really obvious.
Someone should tell him the rain is millet.
At the rescue he was on a calcium supplement when he started keeping his feathers, but I can't do that until he's done with his antibiotics.
I meant to do a fine mist in the air above him this morning before getting him up for the day, but totally forgot. Daytime and afternoon aren't his jam; he walks away as soon as he detects it. He's not scared of the sound yet at least, just moves out of the few teeny drops that land on him through the cage bars.
I just checked him on the camera and he's nibbling away at pins on his back π
Hm. I wonder what he'd do if I got a washcloth wet and placed it over his cage to drip?
I've actually been surprised he hasn't gone for bathing in the last few days when we've had such big rainstorms. I have a metal patio roof, so rainfall is really obvious.
Someone should tell him the rain is millet.
"Hoi der mother, I see yous! I see you is doing a sneaky move, you thinks I wouldn't notice, huh??? See mes? I NOTICED! Caught you in you tracks! Now you owes me treatos for being such a smart and good boi."
HeatherG
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That is BigBeak, not Big Foot.
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