IF YOUR PARROT has begun to feather pick, it’s smart to rule out disease first. Restored health may be all your bird needs to kick the habit.

Make an appointment with your avian vet and ask for a thorough hands-on examination and standard medical tests. These should include a complete blood count to look for anemia or infection; a chemistry panel to ensure organs are functioning properly; and a fecal smear to check for parasites.

Depending on your parrot’s behavior and what your vet sees during the physical exam, he or she also may want to test for other conditions, including the following:

• Skin infections caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
• Progesterone or testosterone imbalances, thought to be a primary cause of breast mutilation in cockatoos.
• Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD). Birds with this disease, almost always less than a year old, do not feather pick. However, feathers look abnormal and become more stunted with each molt.
• Proventricular Dilation Disease (PDD), also known as macaw wasting disease. Symptoms also include weight loss, vomiting and neurological problems.
• Aspergillosis. Causes respiratory distress.
• Cancer. Birds may pick at areas under which a tumor lies or due to general malaise.

ParrotChronicles.com

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