Bird is Sticky- Help!

[alcmene]

This wk we adopted a 2 1/2 yr old male lutino cockatiel. He belonged to the elderly mother of a co-worker, who passed away a couple of wks ago. My co-worker tried taking him, but it wasn't working out so he came to live with me.

He was very well loved. I guess the mother was not very mobile, so she spent pretty much every waking moment of her life doting on her 'tiel. I'm glad to be able to give him a good home where he will be equally adored.

When i went to pick him up, i received a big box full of all of his things. Among them- his shampoo! Apparently, he was bathed daily using shampoo. Of course i threw that away immediately. But now when i bathe him (with just water, of course) he doesn't wet properly. It's like there's a film on his feathers. He feels slightly sticky when you pet him too.

I've tried rinsing him in water a million times. I've tried spraying him with Avian Solution Daily Bath Spray." Not working.

Anyone have any ideas how to de-gunk his feathers?

 

[Kiwibird]

Poor thing, sounds like he was most loved just in an improper way. I'm glad you have him now I think time is probably going to be the only solution to this problem. I would bathe him (soaking wet) every day until the rest of the shampoo residue washes off or new feathers grow in and replace the coated ones. I wouldn't spray anything else on him either, not even "bird washes" or aloe. Just work on getting that gunk off.

Strangely enough, you are the second person in 24 hours who's posted about a recently adopted sticky bird........

 

[alcmene]

Strangely enough, you are the second person in 24 hours who's posted about a recently adopted sticky bird........

Really!? Lol

Where is that thread? I should check it out for ideas!

 

[Kiwibird]

http://www.parrotforums.com/cockatoos/42553-any-ideas-sticky-situation.html

This poor bird got sprayed with some kind of starch or laundry soap or something It's kind of an unusual thing to hear, especially so close together! Hope you get your little friend clean.

 

[alcmene]

I was wondering if maybe a dilute solution of white vinegar and water might help him? I don't know if that would be safe to spray him with though. I'm worried about just leaving it on him because i'm afraid he could get sick from ingesting shampoo when he preens himself

 

[Kiwibird]

I would not spray him with anything else besides water unless a vet tells you to. Obviously shampoo is not good, but vinegar may have a reaction with something in the shampoo which could make the situation twice as bad. Have you had him examined by an avian vet yet? An AV may be able to give a better solution, especially if they can examine the actual feathers and see just how much residue is on there. Who knows, they may have a special prescription wash for him or know of a non-toxic product.

 

[alcmene]

He has a vet appt later this wk. I just thought i'd check here for advice too.

 

[MonicaMc]

You could try dawn dish soap.... however that could dry out his skin.


As mentioned, it could be an issue of just frequent bathes and waiting for his feathers to molt out.

 

[alcmene]

You could try dawn dish soap.... however that could dry out his skin.


As mentioned, it could be an issue of just frequent bathes and waiting for his feathers to molt out.

Brilliant! I see the pics of rescue workers using dawn to get gunk off wildlife after oil spills. Why didn't i think of that?! I'll ask my vet if he recommends just leaving the bird alone until he molts or actively de-gunking his feathers. But i really appreciate the suggestion!

 

[crimson]

I would be concerned that the shampoo would be absorbed into his feathers, not to mention him pruning himself and digesting it!

Monica came up with a very good idea about Dawn soap, I also think diluted vinegar or lemon juice would work as well....but again your vet may have some good suggestions.

I would rather remove it sooner than later though.

 

[Kiwibird]

He has a vet appt later this wk. I just thought i'd check here for advice too.

If he has been having this done to his for some time, then the shampoo is not acutely toxic. I would personally wait until he sees the vet, especially if it's just a day or 2 away. If his preening it is that worrisome, make and put a little collar like this-n him until he sees the vet to prevent him from preening. A sheet of felt to make one out of costs like 25 CENTS at the craft store and is an inexpensive, safe temporary solution.

o
Dawn dish detergent is used to clean oil off of native seabirds affected by oil spills, not to wash domestic pet birds who have been over loved. It's not that it's totally non-toxic either, it's just the least toxic thing that will get the much more toxic oil off. However, the folks who wash those birds have been trained to do so properly, it is absolutely a life or death situation for the birds and the birds themselves live in/near water and can take a good rinsing off to get all the soap and other residue off. I am not sure lathering up a cockatiel and dousing it with the amount of water it would take to get the dawn off would be a great idea. They like water, but they don't live in it. Here is more information about the use of dawn dish detergent on birds- International Bird Rescue*-* Our Work*-* Research and Education*-* FAQs*-*Frequently Asked Questions

 

[MonicaMc]

Here's another thought....

Maybe the cockatiels feathers don't feel right because he hasn't had a chance to build up any of the feathery dust that cockatiels and cockatoos are known for? So maybe it might help to lay off the bathes?



I've bathed a tiel in dish soap before... wasn't fun. (She got into some cold cooking oil) It actually took a few weeks to get it off of her feathers.



(would be great to hear what the a-vet says!)

 

[crimson]

Here's another thought....

Maybe the cockatiels feathers don't feel right because he hasn't had a chance to build up any of the feathery dust that cockatiels and cockatoos are known for? So maybe it might help to lay off the bathes?



I've bathed a tiel in dish soap before... wasn't fun. (She got into some cold cooking oil) It actually took a few weeks to get it off of her feathers.



(would be great to hear what the a-vet says!)

....this is why we love Monica so much:22:

 

[Kiwibird]

....this is why we love Monica so much:22:

*Deleted the first part of my comment*

Parrots are very fragile creatures, and IN MY OPINION they shouldn't be exposed to any unnecessary or extra chemicals unless a vet gives an ok to do so.

Edit: it appears there was a big misunderstanding of that on my part as well. I apologize for my snippy comment, and erased it. Lets get this thread gets back to helping Mr. Peabody get his feathers back to how they should be in the safest way possible

 

[MonicaMc]

And what's wrong with a Kiwi bird's advice? It's good to get various opinions on a matter.

 

[crimson]

omg Kiwibird....it was honestly nothing personal! I completely agree with your post.... like I mentioned in my post, she SHOULD see a vet.


....I just never realized that maybe it was the lack of dander on the bird that possibly be causing some of the issues....

 

[alcmene]

I will weigh back in with what the vet says