cockatiel has started plucking, advice needed

[im_nick]

One person wants to know if you live in the US.

Another person asks….”Can you ask them if the bird has much downy feathering at all and if the bird is at all ever dusty? It does not appear to be dusty like tiels should be”

I live in Bulgaria. he does have downy feathers tho they do seem a little bit sparse in some areas. I'm actually not fully sure how much of them he should have though. he does drop plenty of them fairly often. as for dust, he is quite dusty some times but I'm not sure whether it's enough for a cockatiel, especially if he doesn't appear to be properly dusty in the current moment. I took his picture a little before uploading it here. he seems to make more of it whenever he preens himself, but he's been doing it less lately. he's still producing dust right now too but it definitely seems to be less than usual.

 

[JjEjFjF]

Before the pellets, what did his diet consist of?
Does he have any other birds that live with him in his cage?
His face feathers are rather sparse, have they always been like that?
Have you checked him for mites?

 

[im_nick]

Before the pellets, what did his diet consist of?
Does he have any other birds that live with him in his cage?
His face feathers are rather sparse, have they always been like that?
Have you checked him for mites?

before the pellets he's been eating mostly millet.
I don't have other birds, but sunny came from a pet store that had horrific overcrowding, i wouldn't buy from them but he was a gift from family. since he came here he hasnt had contact with other birds though.
when I first got him his feathering, including the face, was pretty much normal overall but his face feathers have been getting sparser along with his flight and tail feathers.
as for mites, I do recall seeing a few small mite-adjacent dots on sunnys head when I first got him but that was in 2021 and I haven't seen anything similar since. I remember not thinking much of it since I didn't really know a whole lot about birds in 2021

 

[JjEjFjF]

before the pellets he's been eating mostly millet.
I don't have other birds, but sunny came from a pet store that had horrific overcrowding, i wouldn't buy from them but he was a gift from family. since he came here he hasnt had contact with other birds though.
when I first got him his feathering, including the face, was pretty much normal overall but his face feathers have been getting sparser along with his flight and tail feathers.
as for mites, I do recall seeing a few small mite-adjacent dots on sunnys head when I first got him but that was in 2021 and I haven't seen anything similar since. I remember not thinking much of it since I didn't really know a whole lot about birds in 2021

I wish you were able to take him to an avian vet but i know you cant.
In the meantime check him well for mites. Please get him a vitamin supplement and or get him to eat some vegetables. He may be severally malnourished.
Im still communicating with other bird owners. I will pass along the info you provided.
If possible can you get a picture of one of his flight feathers that fell out?
Talk to you soon.

 

[JjEjFjF]

I forgot to ask, how long have you had him?

 

[im_nick]

I wish you were able to take him to an avian vet but i know you cant.
In the meantime check him well for mites. Please get him a vitamin supplement and or get him to eat some vegetables. He may be severally malnourished.
Im still communicating with other bird owners. I will pass along the info you provided.
If possible can you get a picture of one of his flight feathers that fell out?
Talk to you soon.

I honestly really wish it was possible too, I really hate that I'm unable to do much in that regard.
from general observations I can't see anything similar to mites on him right but I don't know if I'm looking for them right. do you have any tips?
I'll actually see if I can pick up a vitamin supplement tomorrow, and if not I'll be ordering one. I'm sure he'd benefit from vegetables too so I'll do my best to get him to eat some. i honestly didn't know malnutrition could be this detrimental to his feathering...
Im not able to get a picture of a flight feather since they don't really grow in right. they're very small and hard to distinguish, same goes for the tail feathers

I forgot to ask, how long have you had him?

I've had him since August of 2021, if I recall correctly

im really really grateful for the help and that you're taking the time out of your day to communicate with others on my behalf. really, thank you so much once again

 

[JjEjFjF]

Can you get a picture of any of the feathers that fell out or were pulled out? Most importantly the end of the feather that was in the skin.

 

[im_nick]

Can you get a picture of any of the feathers that fell out or were pulled out? Most importantly the end of the feather that was in the skin.

heres some that were around the cage. i apologize if the pictures don't show the detail sufficiently, I can try to retake them if needed.

 

[JjEjFjF]

To check for mites on a cockatiel, carefully examine their skin, particularly around the eyes, beak, and legs, looking for crusty areas, scaly patches, or signs of irritation; observe if your bird is excessively preening, restless at night, or has feather loss, as these can be indicators of mite infestation; for a more thorough check, use a flashlight at night to see if you can spot tiny moving mites on their skin.

 

[im_nick]

To check for mites on a cockatiel, carefully examine their skin, particularly around the eyes, beak, and legs, looking for crusty areas, scaly patches, or signs of irritation; observe if your bird is excessively preening, restless at night, or has feather loss, as these can be indicators of mite infestation; for a more thorough check, use a flashlight at night to see if you can spot tiny moving mites on their skin.

sorry for the late update, but thank you for this. I checked using these tips and I didn't find anything. the feather loss and excessive preening have been very apparent since the initial issue I posted about started, but I did not find any moving mites.

 

[JjEjFjF]

sorry for the late update, but thank you for this. I checked using these tips and I didn't find anything. the feather loss and excessive preening have been very apparent since the initial issue I posted about started, but I did not find any moving mites.

So far nobody in the other forums have an answer for what wrong with him.Its been suggested that he has mites or possibly PBFD. Beak and feather disease.
They gave information on avian vets in your area but im sure youre aware.

 

[JjEjFjF]

Others are saying severe deficiencies.
Have you gotten him any vitamin supplements yet? I know Youre switching pellets. That process usually takes weeks. They dont recognize pellets as food so they dont eat them right away. You need to do something.

 

[im_nick]

So far nobody in the other forums have an answer for what wrong with him.Its been suggested that he has mites or possibly PBFD. Beak and feather disease.
They gave information on avian vets in your area but im sure youre aware.

I see. I'll keep checking for mites, even tho so far I haven't found anything to suggest their presence. I've read about PBFD and to be honest for a while it was one of my main suspicions too, but I really hope it's not that. also while I've done research on vets here, any information would still be useful. I believe the only truly specialized bird vets are in Sofia which is on the other side of the country relative to me, but information about ones that are closer would still be good. I can try calling or emailing at least.

Others are saying severe deficiencies.
Have you gotten him any vitamin supplements yet? I know Youre switching pellets. That process usually takes weeks. They dont recognize pellets as food so they dont eat them right away. You need to do something.

I got 2 vitamin supplements and I'll be ordering another one later today. right now I have a general pet vitamin that is dissolved in water, and one that is for small parrots (specifically for feather health) but it's in a pellet form. this is all they had at the store I went to, hence why I'll be ordering a bird specific dissolvable one as well since I'm not sure how much the general animal one will help....
when it comes to pellets he's been eating them for quite a while now. the process of getting him to eat them took longer than a few weeks, but he does eat them and I think he quite enjoys them. either way I'm going to do what i can with all the advice I've gotten. thank you very much again

 

[Sph232]

Clean its cage and accessories then get some diatomaceous earth food grade put it in its cage and on the bird it’ll not harm it but might help with mites. Also it’s diet I would remove pellets and put it back on good seed mix and offer fresh veg and fruit also hard boiled egg including shell. It could be a serious medical problem also so try to see a vet any vet is better than none. Hope this helps

 

[JjEjFjF]

diatomaceous earth

• Dust inhalation concerns:
  The biggest risk is from inhaling the dust, which can irritate a bird's respiratory system, especially for smaller birds with sensitive airways.

 

[Sph232]

• Dust inhalation concerns:
  The biggest risk is from inhaling the dust, which can irritate a bird's respiratory system, especially for smaller birds with sensitive airways.

Yes I agree if you use in excess . I’ve used it for years with all types of birds and not had any ill effects. Birds love a good dust bath especially small ones. It’s when it’s used in small confined spaces that it becomes a problem.

 

[JjEjFjF]

I see. I'll keep checking for mites, even tho so far I haven't found anything to suggest their presence. I've read about PBFD and to be honest for a while it was one of my main suspicions too, but I really hope it's not that. also while I've done research on vets here, any information would still be useful. I believe the only truly specialized bird vets are in Sofia which is on the other side of the country relative to me, but information about ones that are closer would still be good. I can try calling or emailing at least.

I got 2 vitamin supplements and I'll be ordering another one later today. right now I have a general pet vitamin that is dissolved in water, and one that is for small parrots (specifically for feather health) but it's in a pellet form. this is all they had at the store I went to, hence why I'll be ordering a bird specific dissolvable one as well since I'm not sure how much the general animal one will help....
when it comes to pellets he's been eating them for quite a while now. the process of getting him to eat them took longer than a few weeks, but he does eat them and I think he quite enjoys them. either way I'm going to do what i can with all the advice I've gotten. thank you very much again

Here is the vet info. I see the one is in Sofia like you had mentioned.

Д-р Юлия Назаренко - Ветеринарна клиника Елпида - грижа за домашните любимци

Ветеринарна клиника Елпида - грижа за домашните любимци Д-р Юлия Назаренко Родена на 27.04.1987 г. Завършва Езикова гимназия в гр. Москва и ветеринарна медицина в Московска Ветеринарна Академия „К.И.

elpida--varna-bg.translate.goog

Exotic Vet Dr Melinda de Mul

Freelance veterinary doctor specializing in exotic animals. Offering full range of services in the area of Sofia, Bulgaria.

exoticvet.bg

What brand of pellets are you giving him? Do you have a list of the ingredients?

How long have his feather been sparse and scruffy like they are?

 

[im_nick]

Clean its cage and accessories then get some diatomaceous earth food grade put it in its cage and on the bird it’ll not harm it but might help with mites. Also it’s diet I would remove pellets and put it back on good seed mix and offer fresh veg and fruit also hard boiled egg including shell. It could be a serious medical problem also so try to see a vet any vet is better than none. Hope this helps

I'll try to look into this, thank you. I'm not fully sure where to get it but I'll try my best to look for it. I see there's dust inhalation concerns so I'll try to be careful with it, but if it has a positive effect when used properly I'll try to give it a go.

Here is the vet info. I see the one is in Sofia like you had mentioned.

Д-р Юлия Назаренко - Ветеринарна клиника Елпида - грижа за домашните любимци

Ветеринарна клиника Елпида - грижа за домашните любимци Д-р Юлия Назаренко Родена на 27.04.1987 г. Завършва Езикова гимназия в гр. Москва и ветеринарна медицина в Московска Ветеринарна Академия „К.И.

elpida--varna-bg.translate.goog

Exotic Vet Dr Melinda de Mul

Freelance veterinary doctor specializing in exotic animals. Offering full range of services in the area of Sofia, Bulgaria.

exoticvet.bg

What brand of pellets are you giving him? Do you have a list of the ingredients?

How long have his feather been sparse and scruffy like they are?

thank you for the info. I am aware of both of these doctors and I've even tried contacting one of them but calling sent me straight to voicemail. maybe I'll try to figure out a way to contact them again. I wonder if speaking to them without bringing the bird is any good? the doctor whom I tried to call works in the city where my cousin lives and even tho my family doesn't normally let me go there I could try to work something out.
the pellets are versele-laga's nutribird. the g14 original variety. the content includes cereals, nuts, derivatives of vegetable origin, vegetables, seeds, fruit, oils and fats, vegetable protein, sugars, yucca, and MOS. I know it's best to avoid food that contains sugar but I haven't had success in finding such... altho I believe it's possible I didn't look hard enough or in the right places.

 

[im_nick]

How long have his feather been sparse and scruffy like they are?

hi again, my bad, I forgot to reply to this in my last reply. but um, I believe he started looking like that at some point during 2022? when he came to me he already had some scruffy and broken feathers but otherwise looked mostly normal and I shrugged it off then. his tail went first, then his wing feathers and recently his crest has been getting sparser too. it happened gradually.

 

[JjEjFjF]

the pellets are versele-laga's nutribird. the g14 original variety. the content includes cereals, nuts, derivatives of vegetable origin, vegetables, seeds, fruit, oils and fats, vegetable protein, sugars, yucca, and MOS. I know it's best to avoid food that contains sugar but I haven't had success in finding such

Sugar isnt a concern at this point i dont think. What i was looking for was vitamins and minerals.
I searched your pellets. Their website says they contain

NUTRITIONAL ADDITIVES​

vitamin A 8000 IU, β-carotene 4.8 mg, vitamin D3 1650 IU, vitamin E 90 mg, vitamin B1 7.5 mg, vitamin B2 17.5 mg, calcium-D-pantothenate 22 mg, vitamin B6 6.5 mg, vitamin B12 0.03 mg, vitamin C 55 mg, niacin 90 mg, folic acid 1.65 mg, biotin 0.29 mg, choline chloride 780 mg, 3b202 (iodine) 2.3 mg, 3b405 (copper) 11 mg, 3b503 (manganese) 110 mg, 3b605 (zinc) 105 mg, 3b802 (selenium) 0.11 mg, 3b811 (organic selenium) 0.11 mg

If your bird is eating mostly pellets, technically you really should’t need a supplement but I suppose if you were to buy a supplement it shouldn’t hurt to give him some every now and then to try and get him healthy again.

right now I have a general pet vitamin that is dissolved in water,

I dont think i would use that if its not bird specific.

I wonder if speaking to them without bringing the bird is any good?

You could ask them if you can send them a picture. They may or may not accept that.

my family doesn't normally let me go there I could try to work something out.

This is best. I think he really needs to see an avian vet.,
I myself would drive to the ends of the earth if i had to but i understand your situation.