Home

>

Bird

>

My african grey parrot has grown pink feathers on her body. I attach photos. Is this normal ?

My african grey parrot has grown pink feathers on her body. I attach photos. Is this normal ?

Updated On August 6th, 2017

Pet's info: Exotic | Unknown - Exotic | Female | 11 months and 28 days old

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

View more to consider that the photos may include sensitive content.

This problem is quite rare indeed. There are two different causes. Genetic: there could be a genetic base for it, so no need to be worried about it as it is completely normal. Such birds are often referred to as " Kings "or "King Greys". This type of Greys are quite rare indeed. Feather disease: it could be indication of damaged feather follicles and medication ( antibiotics at the time a bird is molting) can sometimes re-establish normal color. The third cause could be general sickness, malnutrition or over-supplementation, or liver disease or kidney problems. As you can see there are many different causes possible. So the approach should start from a physical examination at your local vet and feather testing to determine any abnormality. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Vote icon

7Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

See More Answers

Related Questions

My amazon parrot just swallowed a metal snap. All emergency vets are unable to respond, no avian vet on call. I read metal snaps can cause metal poisoning, can they?

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry that Mango is having this issue. Yes, many different metals can cause toxicity in birds if ingested but the main ones of concern are lead and zinc. You will need to take Mango to an avian vet when they are open. The metal snap will need to be removed even if it is made of a non harmless metal like stainless steel. I suggest you go to a speciality center as they are more likely to have an endoscope which will be better than doing an open surgery for removal. Sometimes, depending on where the metal piece is located in the GI tract and the size of the snap, they can try removal via bulking agents fed orally instead of doing any invasive procedures. ( https://www.buffalobirdnerd.com ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

What are the best type of perches for my two year old male black capped conure?

It is best to provide Ava with a few different types of perches. They should range in diameter. Natural perches are best, as they provide varying shapes which is best for your bird’s feet. A pedicure perch is also recommended (ie: "sweet feet" perch) which is a textured perch that helps keep toenails trimmed and smooth, as well as the bird’s beak. You can find a plethora of perches on Amazon. ( https://www.amazon.com/natural-perches-Parakeets/s?k=natural+perches+for+Parakeets )

Read More

Hello. My door was open with a screen net and a raccoon came right up to the door making contact with my cat. Face to face. Is there a way for her to catch anything like that like rabies? Or does a cat have to get bitten for that? I immediately ran up and closed the door. The raccoon was coming to eat the bird seeds. Is there anything to worry about here?

Thanks for visiting Boop by Petco. Rabies is commonly spread through a bite wound. So there is very low risk of rabies transmission based on what you have described as making ocntact through a screen net. It isn't impossible because rabies is found in the saliva, just very unlikely in this scenario. Just keep an eye on your pet Kate for the next 7 days for any abnormal behavior (i.e. excessive vocalization, irrational behaivor, aggressive behavior, and if she is not up to date on her rabies vaccination, I would highly recommend getting her vaccinated asap. I hope that things work out well for your pet Kate moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

Read More

I have a cockatoo Moluccan 10 years old, she has a wound under her wing. She is having a plucking issue and she keeps scratching under her wing. Please help me

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. I'm sorry that Luca is having this issue. Feather picking in birds is EXTREMELY difficult to determine the underlying cause in many cases. The first thing you have to do is rule out any underlying medical causes so you need to take her to an avian veterinarian for an exam and some testing. Your vet will also discuss the diet (improper diet can cause bad feather quality causing them to pick them out). If you can rule out an underlying medical condition then the issue is likely behavioral and your vet can help you with treatment which typically includes a combination of environmental enrichment and behavior modification medications. If you try to just keep "putting a band-aid" on the issue by avoiding the vet you are not going to get anywhere. If the problem is an underlying medical condition and that is not addressed, no matter what you do at home to "treat" her she will not get better. There is no quick fix for this problem. I have linked below a good article for you to read about this problem in birds. I have also linked a topical mediation you can apply to the wound until you can get her to a vet. It is a spray hydrogel. If she doesn't like the spray sound you can apply the gel with your fingers or a cotton ball. ( https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk491/files/inline-files/Feather-picking_in_Birds.pdf ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

Hello, I am Yusuf and my budgie got injured. Its name is Blue and for the past few days, his feet got curled in wrong directions. I think it was because he had too long toenails and i think thats the reason. Now his three fingers are curled and looking in wrong directions. Im trying to constantly keep him in his cage and fix his fingers, although i would like for him to heal really quickly. If you got any solutions please tell me.

Hello Yusuf. I'm sorry this happened to Blue. I agree with you, I suspect his nail was too long and it must have gotten stuck in something and he damaged his toe. The toe looks red and swollen and could very well be broken (hence the curling). I know you would like to do something and try to make it heal faster but honestly it is best to leave it alone to heal naturally. There really isn't anything you can do as that toe cannot be immobilized or splinted. The good thing is that birds bones heal relatively quickly anyway. Even if the toe heals in a curled position it will not likely cause him any long term issues. The best thing is to just make sure his nails are trimmed regularly so they can get shorter and to make sure there is nothing in his cage that the nails could get stuck in. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

My cockatiel has recently been diagnosed with a respiratory infection and is being treated twice daily with 0.05 mg of Enrofoxacin for 10 days twice now he's aspirated on his medicine, I've taken him to the vet after the first time and he was fine, should I take him again? The fluid amount is very low but it makes me nervous, he's scheduled for another appointment tommorow at 10am and they want to perform and xray and the sedation is scaring me. What should I know?

Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. It sounds like X-rays are warranted for Prince to see what is going on. It is not normal for him to aspirate on the medication - possibly there is some type of obstruction in his throat? If he is eating well then you may want to consider putting the medication in a drop of yogurt or applesauce or something with that consistency that he likes; I'm guessing you are syringing the medication directly into his mouth? Sedation is always risky in birds especially if there is a respiratory issue already underlying. You will need to speak to your vet about this more about the risks vs benefits of performing the X-rays. Maybe they can give him just a very light sedative and do the X-rays standing instead of laying down. It depends on what type of X-ray machine your vet has. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Read More

image

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Filed Under

Sponsored