Last Updated on by Catherine Tobsing
Hi.
I read your article about plucking and I’m here for advice.
I have an African Grey and she’s 28 years old.
She has always been very healthy.
About 6 months ago she started plucking and we can’t figure out why.
After countless vet visits, tests, collars, and even boarding with the vet for observation, still no results.
I now have her in a soft flexible collar that I take off when she’s out of her cage.
I’m trying something new, I spray aloe on her neck, legs and underwings to help if there is any irritation.
But I’m at a loss. Should I remove the collar completely?
I’m afraid if I do, she will pluck herself bald
Thanks for your advice
Steven C.
Dear Steve
Sorry for the delay in response, very busy week.
Something must have changed in your bird’s world.
New picture on the wall, you have a new hat, and shaved your mustache.
Wife has a new hair color or red fingernails (some nail polish colors can be real triggers).
The bird’s view out the window has changed?
Could there be hawks, crows, or other animals?
Did you change the food? Or add a new or remove an old favored toy?
Is there a new person in the house, or one that is no longer there? How about other pets? Is the cat or dog now gone?
The plucking, is it in one area or all over? If in one spot it could be an internal issue and you would need to go to the vet.
Does your grey have proper full-spectrum lighting preferably with a timer?
Please check all of this and let us know what you find out.
Catherine Tobsing
Steven replies:
No worries, and thank you for responding.
My grey has been pretty resilient over the 28 years I’ve had her.
I have a second home in Las Vegas and she will travel there with us a couple of times a year if I’m going to be there for more than a few weeks.
In fact, we both leave on Sunday and won’t be back in Chicago until mid January.
You asked if something had changed.
We did move to a new condo in April of last year (2023). She seems to be ok with the new environment.
We did go out of town for 2 weeks in May of this year and had a bird sitter come in every day to feed and water her.
It is when we got back from that trip, when we noticed her patches of feathers plucked under her wings. It’s been progressing ever since.
After numerous vet trips and tests, they determined she was physically healthy.
They put her in a collar for about a month, took it off, and within two days she plucked her neck, and legs, and started back under the wings again.
I now have her in a soft flexible collar when I’m not home, but I don’t think that’s good for the health of her feathers.
(more to come)….
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