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| Question about Pets:Does my bird have parasites? |
It could be many different things.
Some disease-related causes of feather plucking include:
* Endocrine diseases such as low thyroid levels, progesterone or testosterone imbalances
* Infectious diseases such as pox virus or psittacosis
* Poor nutrition
* Food allergies, especially to seeds
* Liver disease
* Pruritis: "Itchy Bird," caused by:
o Internal parasites such as roundworms and tapeworms
Giardia infections (can trigger severe skin irritation)
Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections of the skin and feathers
o Yeast infections
o Staphylococcus aureus infections
o Intestinal, respiratory, or crop infection can cause whole-body pruritis because of a hypersensitivity reaction
o Internal tumors or Kidney disease: Bird may pluck over the skin above the tumor or kidney
o Inhaled allergens (smoke, cockatoo dander, perfumes, house deodorants, pollen, dust mold)
o Contact allergens (laundry detergents, deodorants, perfume, hair products, litter or nest box material)
o Ingested allergens (especially certain proteins, carbohydrates, chemical additives such as preservatives, colors, or flavors)
o Dry, flaky skin or thickened reddened skin dermatitis
Folliculitis
o Improper wing clipping, where the cut shafts poke the bird's back
* External parasites such as feather mites are very rarely a cause.
Other causes, not related to any disease, include:
* Boredom
* Nervousness
* Insecurity, Stress (can be caused by an alteration in daily routine, a new environment, or new owner)
* Overcrowded housing: Finches in particular
* Sexual frustration
* Overenthusiastic plucking of a brood patch
* Excessive courtship behavior: one bird plucks the other
* Parents persecuting their chicks to drive them from the nest so they can breed again (possibly an inherited trait)
* Inadequate bathing facilities
* Breed predisposition, as in Quaker Mutilation Syndrome (QMS)
Its too long for me to post on here but visit this site. It could be very helpful. Hope you find some answers. But you should take it to the vet too. :)
http://www.quakerparrots.com/health/feat...
Feather Plucking in Parrots
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