Wondering what's up with my little guy

[Smurflingsmom]

I adopted my baby Ekko from a very sweet guy that had just gotten a divorce and was in the military, wife took her amazons he kept his ekkie and gray. He was always getting stationed away from home and finally made the decision to give up his beloved fids. We had started emailing back and forth in Dec, which the birds were with a friend of his 4 hrs away. Finally in Feb I met Ekko at his vet checkup and fell in love. I was first supposed to take the gray and Ekko but he had another couple that enquired about Dj that had experience in grays and since she was a bit nippy and I have a little one I thought it the best home for her. March Ekko came home with me and I couldn't have asked for a better baby. He is very quiet, almost seems mute unless it's when I get home from work and he hears me and wants out, then he'll talk. I think he has a case of stage fright. He has become like another limb, he's always with me, has never bitten, no bad behavior, all around just a big lover. I took him to get groomed today and noticed he is plucking underneath one of his wings. The lady and the pet store and I had a discussion and came up with the idea that maybe his is lonely for bird compansionship. He since birth has always been around other birds. Could this really be the reason that's stressing out my baby? I have not changed his diet, he's out of his cage for the most part till bed, and he was just seen by the vet and came back with a clean bill of health. Anyone else have any ideas/suggestions?

Also has anyone ever heard of putting aloe gel into the water you spray them down with to help with moisturizing? I'm not too sure about that and although she seems to know what she's talking about wouldn't feel safe without others imput.

[Angelsmum]

Aloe is a fantastic aid, with easing itchy moult as well. getting him a same sex friend could either help with or compound the problem if they do not get on after qt and introduction meaning 2 cages, 2 separate times out. They may get along perfectly but there are no guarantees that any birds would like each other. An opposite sex companion could bring on the problem of eggs, boiling them etc so none are hatched, possible egg binding or then again all could go well. have you encouraged independent play, out on a stand, a gym, perches on the outside of cage with toys there during his time out of cage?

[sodakat]

I think we should talk about what area under the wing he is plucking before you start thinking about causes other than physical. Could he have a clipped feather that was irritating him? What kind of wing clip does he get? How many times has he been clipped since March? My gut says there is something bugging him under that wing.

Kathy

[Kachina]

With an eclectus, the first question that comes to mind is what is he eating? They're so much more sensitive to dyes and extra vitamins than other companion parrots and that could definitely cause some plucking. Most of the pellets out there and quite a few of the seed mixes have items in them that can cause reactions in ekkies. Plucking, toe tapping, wing flipping... He could also be missing his former owner.

[birdiemommy]

Aloe is great, but try to find the juice instead of the gel. Gels usually have a bit of alcohol and other additives. I get the juice and it is 98% juice.
I worked with an ekkie who plucked. His turned out to be a food allergy we believe, as soon as we eliminated the culprit the plucking stopped.
I agree, before you think about another bird, make sure it is not medical. Illness or feather problems under the wing could be to blame.

[tvymola]

Originally Posted by sodakat

I think we should talk about what area under the wing he is plucking before you start thinking about causes other than physical. Could he have a clipped feather that was irritating him? What kind of wing clip does he get? How many times has he been clipped since March? My gut says there is something bugging him under that wing.

Kathy

I tend to agree with sodakat, if his flight feathers are clipped they could be rubbing a spot underneath his wing. I recently had my male Ekkie's flights clipped and the trimmed ends seem to bother him sometimes.

[hollyhawkz]

Yeah, I was going to say not aloe gel..... it is for topical only and because they preen, they will ingest whatever is on their feathers. Aloe juice is good.

To add to sodakats questions:

Are you sure it is plucking or is it a normal bare spot that is found under the wings or all birds? Like we have hair in our arm pits, birds have bald areas in their wing pits! On the larger birds it looks like a big spot!

Are there feathers noticeably pulled out and at the bottom of the cage?
Do you frequently see him with feathers in his beak?
Is it red and sore looking under his wings or just normal pink?

Here is why is ask:
A month or so after when we got pepper I freaked because I noticed (What I thought) huge bald spots under his wings. I thought he was having a hard time adjusting and had started plucking. Well one emergency vet visit and $50. later, I quickly learned about "wing pits".

I ask this because a vet has seen your Ekko, and gave him a clean bill of health, and you mentioned that you just took him to the groomer which is where you noticed the bald spot.

[Smurflingsmom]

I must say aloe juice is something I've never heard of, but will give that a try.

As far as clipping, he's only been clipped once since March. Doesn't seem to be a must have for him since he really doesn't think he can fly anyway. When I took him in to be groomed they did his beak and his nails. He's a momas boy and whenever he's with me he's pretty intent on being right where he's at. I've tried the playgym, oddly enough music *which he refuses to dance like most men*. I play with him on the floor, and tickle his feet, all which make him a happy little guy. He adores when my 3yr old daughter pays him attention, he's the center of her world. So he gets lots of attention, interaction. I don't believe this spot is a wing pit. You can dramatically tell the difference between his two underneaths of the wing. He is blind on one side, and it's been said that's probably why he doesn't pluck it. I've taken into account that I think he's molting, because quite frankly there are feathers everywhere and the ones under his wing are mostly red and I've found green ones too. The spot right above his beak looked odd but when I looked closer I noticed all the white from the shaft of incoming feathers. This problem however I don't believe is molting related. He's not plucked down to skin, he has the white down feathers covering that spot so he's not bald yet. I'm hoping to figure it out before we get to that point. Could not clipping his feathers have something to do with it? I believe the previous owner kept up on it, but when this baby was with his friends when he was stationed out I don't know what routine they had him on.

As far as his diet, he was on harrisons but they switched him to Zupreem natural long before I had gotten him. He gets a seed mix and of course his fresh fruits vegetables, which I make into mashes and give him daily. If you have a strawberry however you better run, he'll steal it without feeling any remorse.

I've had Ekko for I would say about 6 months now and just noticed this within the last week or two. Nothing here has changed, someone had mentioned him missing his previous owner. I can see that, but not really to this extent since his owner picked him up from Ames, IA to bring him back to Omaha, NE just a few weeks before he came home with me. Poor little guy is probably getting over the confusion of that, but is that going to cause behavior 6 months later when he has a more loving/active environment? The previous owner and I have arrangements made for him to visit, which I don't have a problem with at all.

I'm going to see if he feels like an inspection today lol. I'm sure it will not be very willingly, but he could surprise me. He lets me rub under both of his wings, and will let me stretch them out sometimes if I coax him into thinking he's showing me he's such a pretty boy. I'll see if there isn't something that may be rubbing. It's the upper half of the portion of his body under his wing, would be about where clipped feathers would be.

[Lori~D]

Ask the pharmacist where to find the Juice. I get it by the half gallon at wallgreens.

[FloorCandy]

WHat is the ALoe Juice to water ratio? My CAG is very dry, and I would like to mist him him with aloe water.