3 Responses to “How can I get my Eclectus Parrot to stop pulling his feathers?”
zebraquestion on
March 29th, 2010 6:21 am
Have you tried the spray called Bitter Apple? It’s a spray that may stop birds from pulling their feathers. Sometimes it doesn’t always work. If the bird has a nervous condition, their is nothing you can do but take it to a vet and see if they have other ways or meds to help.
janetbray95 on
March 29th, 2010 6:27 am
According to the current issue of Bird Talk Magazine, there are a lot of potential causes for feather plucking.
It appears that, contrary to popular belief, most feather plucking is NOT behavior related and actually is the result of medical problem.
Vitamin/mineral deficiencies, irritated skin, allergies, indoor pollution, parasites, and skin inflammation can all cause feather plucking. You should take your eclectus to a qualified avian veterinarian to attempt to determine the cause.
If the plucking is restricted to the “wingpit” and the inner thighs, giardia is most likely the cause. Giardia is a parasite that lives in fresh water and is contagious, so you should take this seriously and visit the vet.
The problem with feather plucking is that, over time, even if the original problem is resolved, it can become an ingrained habit. And, once feather follicles have become damaged, the feathers will not ever regrow.
If your vet says that there are no known physical causes of the plucking, you can try keeping the parrot’s beak occupied with other things, like preening toys especially made for feather plucking birds. Bitter apple spray is not effective in stopping either health-related or behavioral plucking, by the way.
The best answer, however, is to visit your vet to rule out other causes.
gd4bird on
March 29th, 2010 6:38 am
Never spray anything on a bird’s feathers but clean water, unless directed by an avian vet. Feather picking can have many causes, don’t assume it’s behavioral. Your bird needs to be seen by an avian vet for testing and evaluation. If you smoke do not touch your bird without washing your hands first and never smoke around a bird. Other things that can cause picking: poor diet, lack of bathing, poor environment, heavy metal poisoning, disease, trauma, anxiety, abuse, vitimin deficiencies. Eclectus parrots in particular have special dietary needs – see Land of Vos link below.
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Have you tried the spray called Bitter Apple? It’s a spray that may stop birds from pulling their feathers. Sometimes it doesn’t always work. If the bird has a nervous condition, their is nothing you can do but take it to a vet and see if they have other ways or meds to help.
According to the current issue of Bird Talk Magazine, there are a lot of potential causes for feather plucking.
It appears that, contrary to popular belief, most feather plucking is NOT behavior related and actually is the result of medical problem.
Vitamin/mineral deficiencies, irritated skin, allergies, indoor pollution, parasites, and skin inflammation can all cause feather plucking. You should take your eclectus to a qualified avian veterinarian to attempt to determine the cause.
If the plucking is restricted to the “wingpit” and the inner thighs, giardia is most likely the cause. Giardia is a parasite that lives in fresh water and is contagious, so you should take this seriously and visit the vet.
The problem with feather plucking is that, over time, even if the original problem is resolved, it can become an ingrained habit. And, once feather follicles have become damaged, the feathers will not ever regrow.
If your vet says that there are no known physical causes of the plucking, you can try keeping the parrot’s beak occupied with other things, like preening toys especially made for feather plucking birds. Bitter apple spray is not effective in stopping either health-related or behavioral plucking, by the way.
The best answer, however, is to visit your vet to rule out other causes.
Never spray anything on a bird’s feathers but clean water, unless directed by an avian vet. Feather picking can have many causes, don’t assume it’s behavioral. Your bird needs to be seen by an avian vet for testing and evaluation. If you smoke do not touch your bird without washing your hands first and never smoke around a bird. Other things that can cause picking: poor diet, lack of bathing, poor environment, heavy metal poisoning, disease, trauma, anxiety, abuse, vitimin deficiencies. Eclectus parrots in particular have special dietary needs – see Land of Vos link below.