Vet Q&A-Bird

My African Grey Parrot has a feather hanging that she keeps trying to pull out and it seems to be hurting so much. Is the gray feather. She is 4 years old

Hi there. Some pain with large feather shed is normal-however if you see any blood, etc she may have a broken shaft if may be causing more pain. If she has not shed it by tomorrow and you are not familiar with helping her remove them-I would call your vet and take her in for an evaluation of the feather. Glad she has you to take care of her!

I've been trying to get my pet lovebird to eat some fruits or veggies. I've put them in his cage, in his food bowl, I've eaten it in front of him, he doesn't want to touch it. It seems as if he's afraid of the foods I show him, how can I get my bird to eat more than just seeds?

It may be that Truffle still isn't sure that is food, and some birds that are raised on seed and not exposed to fruits/veggies at a young age may always be somewhat aversive to it. Continuing to offer a variety of fruits and veggies as treats is best until he tries one or you find one he enjoys.

My bird flew into the window and there's a long blood mark between her nose what should I do?

You need to monitor her in the next 24 hours, check if she is eating, pooping and moving normally. If the bleeding has stopped there is nothing for you to do other tan the monitoring, if she doesn't seem herself after 24 hours- take her to the vet.

Is coconut oil good for budgies. If yes how can I give it to them. One of my budgie is underweight and has needle like feather and he is picking on them.

No, coconut oil is not good for budgies in any form or way. feather diseases are common in budgies and can be caused by various reasons such as mites, viral infections, bacterial infections and internal organ disorders. i would recommend taking coco to an avian vet in order to get it treated ASAP.

Hi there. I was just wondering if I bird can die from stress? One of our lorikeets flew away. His brother who isleft on his own for the first time in his life is stressed. His little heart is beating so fast. Can he die overnight fron being stressed out? Can i help him in anyway?

So sorry this happened :( Yes stress can kill birds. That is often how birds die. They get stressed very easily. That being said, I don't think this type of stress will cause him to die. It is usually stress from transport, moving, illness, etc. There is nothing you can really do except try to keep him calm by covering the cage and maybe play some soft, easy music for him. Some people have had luck using Rescue Remedy. I'm not sure if you can get it in the UK but you may be able to get it from Amazon. That won't give you immediate help but if his companion stays gone it may help over the long run. http://www.petremedycharts.com/Learning%20Center/Homeopathy/Homeopathic%20Remedies/Homeopathic_Remedies/Rescue_Remedy_for_Pets.html You MUST get the Rescue Remedy for pets and not the human one. The human one has alcohol in it which is not good for animals. Hope this helps. I hope your Lorikeet comes back. If he does return you may want to consider clipping his wings so this doesn't happen again! Best wishes.

i have two parakeets and they are plucking thier feathers how do i make them stop

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. Once a parakeet starts feather plucking or automutilation, you need patience and empathy. There are multiple causes of this self destructive behavior. In young parakeets I would ensure you have plenty of enrichment / toys to play and interact with. Make sure you are offering healthy food such as different fruits and vegetables as their taste stimulates the bird's senses and helps to avoid boredom as well. You can also buy toys that encourage foraging / more work to get to the treats. There is millet or oats in the hull or foraging toys. If this does not improve the behavior, I would seek a consultation with an avian veterinarian to discuss testing options to help determine if there is any systemic disease / infection that could be causing this behavior. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hi. My budgie has an overgrown beak and dark, purple-ish lines in the middle of it. I have tried to trim it, but it simply keeps growing. I just put some antibiotic on it to see what happens,but still, I am concerned. What is the cause of this, and what can/should I do?

Beak overgrowth can be caused by a number of things, and if the beak is continuing to have issues or strange coloration with it, it would be best to have it checked out by an avian vet in your area. Giving your bird access to cuttlebone or other items to wear down the beak with can also help prevent overgrowth, but ruling out any health problems first is best.

hello Dr, im having alexandrine parrot which is 7 months old. that is suffered by heavy feather loss

The first step id to establish why this is happening. Mainly is there a medical issue or is it behaviour related? Medival issues include infections, mites, vitamin a deficiency etc and these are best ruled out by a vet. If there is no medical reason it is likely self plucling due to stress, or plucking by a cage mate. In such instance you need to look at the environment and address stressors such as other birds, draught, noise, dirty conditions, lack of clean water, poor air quality etc.

Hi my parakeet laid eggs but it keeps on breaking them, am I supposed to put the male in another cage while the female is keeping track of the eggs? I put two eggs that the female recently laid in a cup with cushion. What should I do?

If you are hoping to raise babies, then providing nesting material for the parents is best so that they can make a safe nest where the eggs are less likely to fall or break. The parents may also break eggs or discard them if they aren't viable or they are young parents that don't know what to do. Because the eggs need to be incubated, they need to remain in the nest with the parents in order to hatch. You can keep letting both parents try to raise a clutch (and be sure to provide a calcium supplement for the mother), or, if you don't wish to raise babies, can just remove and discard any laid eggs.