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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

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

Updated On June 1st, 2023

Pet's info: Bird | Cockatoo | Female | 10 years and 10 months old | 10 lbs

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. 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.

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3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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