Questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Karmen]

Hi,

Well I posted this message in another forum but no one has responded so here goes again.

Well Pecos is letting me hold and pet him. I went and got his nails trimmed and every single one of them bleed thats how long they were!!! the lady was really nice and did'nt charge me. I also got the name and number of a vet that deals with exotics so I am going to make an appointment to get his beak trimmed and his wings trimmed.

When I got him it looked like some of the feathers on his right lower leg were missing. Well now he has been pulling out the like downy feathers under his wings at first it was just on the underside of the wings but now its on his body to!!!!!! What could be causing this!!!! Its like he over preens then when hi gets one he just kinda keeps it in his mouth and plays/chews on it??? I asked the lady that did his nails what she thought it could be and she said he could have mites!!!! Or since he was used to being bored and only having one toy and perch in his cage that he was overwhelmed???? Also, she said that the vet will probably put him on a different diet, because right now its seeds.

Well sorry its so long but you all are always so helpful!!

Thanks Karmen

[grandma]

What kind of bird is Pecos?
First, no matter what kind of bird he is...you need to find someone else to clip his nails. He should not have bled, she obviously cut too much.
If they were that long, then it should have been done in two or three sessions over a few weeks time.

His diet depends on his bread.

[TooLover]

Originally Posted by grandma

What kind of bird is Pecos?
First, no matter what kind of bird he is...you need to find someone else to clip his nails. He should not have bled, she obviously cut too much.
If they were that long, then it should have been done in two or three sessions over a few weeks time.

His diet depends on his bread.

I agree 100% on the nail clipping, it should have been done in two or three sessions; it causes them great pain to have them cut so shortly so quickly.
And she meant breed, not "bread" -
how old is this bird, and how many homes has he had?

[Karmen]

Hi,

pecos is a 13 year old blue and gold macaw. He was only in two homes his whole life. A couple from 93 to 01 then their daughter from 01 to now. He didnt get let out because she was afraid of him and had 3 year old daughters. He had one perch, and one toy in his cage.

Karmen

[Mike B]

Originally Posted by Karmen

Hi,

Well I posted this message in another forum but no one has responded so here goes again.

Well Pecos is letting me hold and pet him. I went and got his nails trimmed and every single one of them bleed thats how long they were!!! the lady was really nice and did'nt charge me. I also got the name and number of a vet that deals with exotics so I am going to make an appointment to get his beak trimmed and his wings trimmed.

When I got him it looked like some of the feathers on his right lower leg were missing. Well now he has been pulling out the like downy feathers under his wings at first it was just on the underside of the wings but now its on his body to!!!!!! What could be causing this!!!! Its like he over preens then when hi gets one he just kinda keeps it in his mouth and plays/chews on it??? I asked the lady that did his nails what she thought it could be and she said he could have mites!!!! Or since he was used to being bored and only having one toy and perch in his cage that he was overwhelmed???? Also, she said that the vet will probably put him on a different diet, because right now its seeds.

Well sorry its so long but you all are always so helpful!!

Thanks Karmen

If I may? This is going to get long. Find an Avian Vet. Get him checked out for any illnesses. This may be a reason for the plucking. I would also introduce him to veggies. Carrots (cooked), broccoli, kale, celery, peppers, green beans, peas. Stay away from avacados, and eggplant. He needs Beans, and brown rice. Get the 15 dry bean soup mix, toss the flavor packet. Add some brown rice to it serve warm. Get him different sized perches. His feet need to be on different sizes for exersize. Seeds being in the diet is a good thing. Buy that boy some toys. Don't ever go back to the lady that did the nails. Don't ever take advice from her. If she knew what she was doing thye wouldn't have bled. I don't know if I've ever heard of a Macaw w/ mites. With him messing w/ his feathers I wouldn't clip his wings. Have you showered him yet? How do his feathers react to the water? Do they soak up the water, or do they repel it?

Mike

[Samm]

My $.02 on the nail clipping?
Every time I've had Sapphires nails done, a Dremmel tool was used. It took about 3 minutes, no jagged edges...the nail tips are nicely rounded off, and she took it well, no freaking out.

[mizbirdy]

Bubba's AV uses a Dremel tool on his beak & claws also. We call it Bud's shave & pedicure! It doesn't take long at all...

[MiniMama]

Also--- have the vet check for giardia. Doubtful if he's been inside for years. If birds have giardia, one sign is plucking near the hind quarters and under the wings (mine had this), and they will usually do it pretty aggresively. But again, the bird has to be exposed to infected feces, which means he would need to be outdoors.

Good luck, Kari