JAMES HARRIS, DVM
Damaged follicles can deform feathers
 I have had a companion blue-front Amazon for nearly 12 years (exact
age unknown but at least 16 - he was wild caught). He is my only bird.
His recent molt resulted in a couple of irregularities.
Prior to the molt, one of his right primaries (a shorter one near the beginning of the secondaries), was frequently out of alignment with his other feathers. If he flapped his wings, the feather would fall back into place. When that feather finally molted I noticed that the base of the quill was twisted. I'd read that PBFD (psittacine beak and feather disease) can initially show up in individual feathers, so we went ahead and did a PBFD test, which, thankfully, came back negative.
Since then, the new feather as well as an adjacent feather have grown
in sticking out at a slight angle, falling fall back into place with a brief wing flap.
Additionally, a green contour feather at the nape of his neck grew back in yellow. I've also found several nape feathers with stress bars.
Ollie is a large Amazon who is also overweight but he does not have any concentrated fat deposits. He gets Higgens Nutricrunch Pellets, fresh veggies, grains, fruit and healthy people food. No seeds except nuts and Lafebers Avicakes as treats as occasional treats.
Can you give me any insight into what is going on with his feathers? Thank you in advance.
--Deborah Cohen, dcohen2@luc.edu
 Three things can cause deformed feathers: disease, poor nutrition and trauma. Your vet has ruled out PBFD, so let's consider injury. Feather follicles, the housing for the end of the feather and the source of a new feather's blood supply, can be damaged when birds pick at their feathers or accidentally bump them. We can damage follicles when we have to pull broken feathers to stop bleeding.
Once impaired, a follicle will always produce a deformed feather. If these feathers become an annoying distraction for your bird or prompt him to pick further, you might consider having the follicle surgically removed. Your vet will use gas anesthesia to perform this short procedure.
Stress bars and sudden changes in feather color suggest to me liver disease, which can be the result of factors other than a fatty diet. A thorough blood work-up for Ollie is probably in order.
James Harris, DVM is owner and medical director of the Mayfair Veterinary Clinic in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia. He founded Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and has served as medical director and chairman of the board for the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Berkeley. Dr. Harris' numerous professional honors include California and National Bustad Companion Animal DVM Awards.
ParrotChronicles.com
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