Can anyone help? How do i stop my cockatiel from plucking??

[BabysMomma]

I got her from a friend of mine awhile ago (about a year) and since then me and the bird have bonded very well, she took to me in the house now inseperable, shes the only bird and ive noticed her plucking her feathers this morning and i took her our right away because i figured she was bored, and tonight i took her our again and noticed a bald spot on the neck, shes been getting attention and food and evrything i can think of even new toys... i dont know what to do can any one help??? She seems very happy singing and talk as normal.

(P.S. i call the bird a her even though its a He it wasnt untill about a month ago that i found out he was a she, i dont let her/ him know that though cause she says mommas little girl and such.)

[christie99]

Is she grooming (pulling the feathers through her beak to make them sit correctly and keep them clean), or is she pulling them out? This is a very big difference!

If she is pulling them out from her body and not moulting, (loosing them naturally to replace with new feathers,) there may be a medical issue going on.

Do you see what look like whitish pins growing in on her body? These would be new feathers if she is moulting like my birds are now.

At the very least, find an avian vet near you that can take a look at her and give her a "well bird" check up. If this is not moulting, then they can do further tests to determine the cause of plucking, which in tiels is usually an infection, and give you proper medication to treat it.

[BabysMomma]

I dont think shes moulting because theres no pins and she squawks when shes doing it, thinkin back ive heard the squawk before but ive never seen her actual skin but she was looking up at me and i noticed it. im trying not to get all worked up and super worried but im gunna keep a close eye on her to make sure that it dosent spread and see if shes just making room for new ones to come in Ive seen her groom herself before and this didnt look like it but like i said im going to keep watching her, this couldnt have came at a worse time , just after an exspensive x mas and all. hope for the best and thank you for your quick reply back

Amanda

[tielfan]

I've read that plucking in cockatiels is almost always caused by a medical problem, and they almost never pluck for psychological reasons like some species do. She may have some kind of infection or skin irritation. You definitely need to see a vet.

[christie99]

I agree, it sounds like something is going on here. Please go see an Avian vet. Birds do not pull feathers out to make room for new ones. Old feathers fall out when the new one is ready to start growing in, and this is not painful at all.

Please let us know what the vet says.

[queeniegirl]

sounds like Giardia.. google it and see.. I have a conure doing this badly.. he was diagnosed with this , but my new vet says this species rarely gets it.. but cocatiels get it, so I would first have a fresh stool sample tested.. I have spent 2k so far on my conure and it just keeps getting worse.. My vet says his problem is hormonal.. but he screams then pulls out the feathers like something is attacking him..
He has been retested for Giardia three times.. and is negative..
Good luck and do see a vet before it gets out of control.

[birdlady49]

Originally Posted by queeniegirl

sounds like Giardia.. google it and see.. I have a conure doing this badly.. he was diagnosed with this , but my new vet says this species rarely gets it.. but cocatiels get it, so I would first have a fresh stool sample tested.. I have spent 2k so far on my conure and it just keeps getting worse.. My vet says his problem is hormonal.. but he screams then pulls out the feathers like something is attacking him..
He has been retested for Giardia three times.. and is negative..
Good luck and do see a vet before it gets out of control.

Yes, I was going to say giardia. It's fairly common with cockatiels. An avian vet can usually verify the parasite by looking at several fresh stool samples. The problem is that giardia is not shed in every poop, so you can get a false negative if several poops are not examined under the microscope. There is a nasty medicine that can keep it under control.

[christie99]

If it is giardia, you need to be careful too. That is a really nasty bug that we can get as well. Call your vet to find out the best way to get several stool samples for testing and how to store them properly.

Giardia can be eliminated from the system, but it will take medication and lots of cleaning on your part.

[BabysMomma]

ok, she seems to be ok now but better safe then sorry, to a vets we go, thank you all for your help. i'll keep you posted.

[birdlady49]

Yes, please let us know how your little baby is after her avian vet visit. And THANK YOU for taking her to the vet!