Help!

[Nevermore]

My Green-cheeked Conure has been the perfect bird for the three years I have had him. Minus one incident where he got a pimple on his head, which went away after the Vet tried to get a sample from it...

Anyway, I did my usual routine today with him. Get him up when i do, spend some time with him, put him back. go to work. I got home today and went to say hi....and found him with a giant bald spot on his chest.

I've got him on the Red palm oil supplements. The non-fake kind. Thats usually used to treat plucking. But Im going to stop it immediately in case something is wrong with it.

I don't know what to do. I should try to book him in next week, but I'm going to be flying out next friday for 20 days.....

[coral]

did he used to pluck? ive never had a plucker, but all i can say is just try to keep him entertained so he wont pluck. hopefully someone with experience can help

[Nevermore]

Hes never, ever done this before. And I've had the same job, the same schedule since November. Hes also had less attention that he gets now, in previous years with no trouble. Nothing has changed since November.

[Nevermore]

Poo is normal, behaviour is normal. Weight is normal. Schedule is normal. He got new toys relatively recently from the safebirdstore site. He loves them. And at the same time I started him on the red palm oil stuff.

At the same time, I've noticed little downy feathers all over the place for the last few weeks. I've watched him shedding them on my arm. Hes starting to molt. Is it possible he just molted faster than his feathers are growing?

Though I just noticed something too...he feels warm. I don't know if its just me being paranoid, or him.


BTW. its a holiday weekend. I can't get him in until next week.

[GlassOnion]

FIrstly... wow he's beautiful!

Since you said he's moulting, maybe that's what stressed him causing the plucking behaviour. I know many birds get irritated during moulting season and perhaps it bothered him more this year?

I hope you can take him to a vet soon!

[Nevermore]

Thanks. I credit the Red palm oil. He was a mess when I first got him. I attached some pictures below, of Jack within the first few weeks of getting him. His feathers were a mess. He only had one perch so he was destroying them against the bars.

I really hope it is the molting. I wouldn't be freaking out quite this much if I knew I was going to be around to take care of him....but I'm not even going to be in the same province!

[coral]

im sure its possible to have stressed him out from molting but if your really freaked out you could take him to an emergency vet but the cost is pretty pricey :/ you could call a bird breeder or something and ask them maybe?? dont worry about being paranoid though i was freaking out cuz my little guy wasnt eating his pellets lol

[Nevermore]

I sent the pictures to my sister-in-law, who is a vet tech. And talked to her.

She pretty much told me what I was finding on the internet. It could be behavioral, it could be because hes molting. It could be nothing. It could be related to dry skin, it could be because of mites, or it could be something else. Plucking is a symptom. Since he's perfectly health otherwise, she said not to worry; its probably something minor. Just watch him, and take him in next week. You can't really tell anything without tests.

In the mean time, when some of the pet stores open tomorrow I am going to pick him up some aloe spray in case his skin is itchy, some preening toys, and see what happens.

I suppose plucking is not the worst thing that could have happened. I am way too attached to this bird...hehe

[coral]

well then i would just try not to worry to much, because like she said it could be nothing. let us know how his appointment goes at the vet. good luck!

[kaylayuh]

If you think he could be plucking, a lot of people try to put sock sweaters on them so they don't. patdbunny did a great post a while back about them and how to make them, but I haven't been able to find it. You could try taking a look at her blog.

If you do make a sock sweater, make sure you're with him the first couple of times you use it to make sure he's not doing anything to get himself stuck in it. Also try foraging with him. If he's distracted by looking for food, he can't pluck his feathers out.

Good luck!