Cockatoo chewing not plucking - Need Advice

[mwright1972]

I have had Bob (Umbrella Cockatoo) for 2 months. He is now 9 months old. I work so he stays at home everyday in his very large "Macaw size" cage full of toys and chats it up with Marley (sun conure). They are the best of friends. They stay in different cages when I am not home but love to be together when I am home.

Every morning before work I get them both out and they play in the bathroom floor for about an hour while I get ready for work. Every evening when I get home (around 5:30) I take them out change food/water and then play with them in the floor for about an hour, and by play I mean throw the toy ball-they run and go get it, tug-a war with the rope toys, Bob yells and tries his very best to talk and I encourage all he wants to get out. Then they go to a free standing perch in the middle of the room and preen and play with each other while I eat and do housework. Then around 8 or so the lights dim and I let them sit with me while I read or watch tv. By 9ish they are both ready for bed, they go in different cages and are covered. Then the next day we start all over again.
On weekends it is quite different. I let them both out as soon as I get up, they either stay with me running around on the floor playing or sit on the perch and preen... their choice really. I make them take like and hour or so break/nap around mid afternoon in their cage, but for the most part they are out and about all day.
The past 2 weekends we have went camping, and because I didn't want to have to go back and forth to check on them I just took them with us. Marley was kind of scared and stayed right with me, but Bob was an explorer and ran through leaves, chewing on pine cones and sweet gum balls. Watching the birds overhead and putting his umbrella up like he was protecting us from them. Seemed like everyone had fun.
Monday back to normal, Tuesday... I get home and Bob has chewed off ALL of his tail feathers. And as I am holding him and trying to console him for whatever has happened he continues to grab wing feathers with his beak and snap them off, right at the point that they start to grow out. NOT PLUCKING.

So now I have called the vet and they are going to see him tomorrow but I know I have a great support group here... SO I need input.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY HAPPY BOB????

And I know the feathers wont grow back until the broke one falls out... so should I have them plucked at the vet?

Please help.
Sad Momma

 

[Allee]

I'm sorry you're having this issue with Bob, love the name btw. He sounds like a wonderful bird. I love U2 language, I can't understand most of my girl's gibberish but she has the sweetest voice.

Taking Bob to the vet is a sound decision, that will rule out or pinpoint the most obvious causes. Bob's very young and two months is not long to get to know a Too. It's possible the camping trips were more stressful than they appeared to be. I also wonder if Bob got into something outside that may be causing his skin to itch or be uncomfortable. Those are just a couple of numerous possibilities. Barbering isn't plucking, but it is a feather destructive behavior that can lead to plucking. I hope the vet can help find a solution so Bob can get back to being a happy boy. Good luck and please keep us updated.

 

[Christinenc2000]

My friend here has a AG . He use to run around the floor at her job. He got into something . What looked like black oil on his tail feather. She cleaned it off the best she could and she swore out she did not see anymore . I guess her bird did because he did the same thing your bird did. He bite off that one tail feather.

 

[Dopey]

I'm so sorry. I hope you find out what it is and quickly.

 

[mwright1972]

When we got home from camping I gave him his normal weekly shower with me. I rub down all his feathers and he seems to like the warm water. Then he lays on his back holding his hands together while I blow dry him. I didn't see anything on him, but that could be the problem. I sure hope the vet can give me a REAL answer. His apt is at 3:45 today... I can't wait. Last night he chewed off his whole left side of wing feathers while I was trying to play with him... so it isn't boredom. It's breaking my heart.

 

[Allee]

I hope the appointment goes well and there is an obvious answer for you. Please let us know what the vet has to say.

 

[Ltygress]

Don't forget, we humans can get poison ivy and not see it... until the itching starts! So it could easily be something you don't see. Waiting for an update though!

 

[strudel]

we humans can get poison ivy and not see it... until the itching starts!

I've got welts on my arms from bringing home my bunny's hay and touching the bale. I also get a rash if I touch grevillea. There are lots of plants that can cause a reaction if touched. As suggested, it could be some type of contact dermatitis, poison ivy or some other plant that he came into contact with out camping. I hope the vet sorts it out quickly for you. I have an "itchy dog" and he has steroids and antihistamines and things that help him out when whatever sets him off scratching sets him off scratching.

 

[Dopey]

So what did the vet say?

 

[mwright1972]

Update on Bob.

Vet fully checked him over medically and he has no issues. No irritated skin or anything to indicate a medical reason for his feather barbering.

He asked me what seemed like a million "what if" questions to make sure there wasn't something environmental that I had overlooked that could be stressing Bob out.

We went over his routine, cage placement in the house, toys provided, out of cage time/in cage time, cover when sleeping, amount of darkness/quite time, any visitors, diet, and pretty much anything else you could think of.

Bottom Line - Bob is stressing about something and we don't know what it is.

He put Bob on a daily dose of "Birdie Prozac" (not sure the actual name) but that is what he said would be the human equivalent, and he said it would take about 2 weeks to build up to the level needed to really help so expect that he will most likely chew the rest of the feathers off before the meds help.

He said it would be very painful for Bob if he were to pluck the barbered feathers to speed up the replacement feather growth, and would definitely be more stress not less for Bob so we are going to just let them molt out naturally. Since the feathers involved or his first feathers (he is 9 months old) and they normally molt about once a year I should see them start to replace in the next 3-5 months. Since the new feathers will have blood flow where these didn't it will hurt for him to chew them, that plus the meds he is on may deter and further stop this behavior.

He commended me on my care, and said Bob lives a pretty charmed life. Too bad he can't go to a counselor for his stress.

We gave Bob his first dose before I left the office and he told me to watch him closely to make sure he didn't have any reaction or become "druggy" acting. Bob seemed fine. He had his normal "call of the wild" last night for about 15 minutes and went to bed on his perch standing on one foot and beak grinding away like crazy, like the happy bird he has always been.

The vet said he didn't see how the camping trip could be the cause, but to be on the safe side Bob is grounded from camping until further notice.

I will keep you all updated if anything changes.

In the meantime... Chill Out Bob!!!

M

 

[mwright1972]

Forgot to add some Preen/Toy tips from the vet.

Since the issue is sort of related to over preening he told me to go to the Dollar Store and buy a bunch of baby bottle cleaners. They do have metal but it has a rubber coating around it. The main focus for Bob won't be the wire it will be the bristles. They are stiff and Bob will want to preen and preen and preen on them, to busy himself. So I went directly from the vet to get them. I bent them around the cage wire at different heights and places around his cage. I couldn't hardly get them all on for him wanting to already get to work on them.

So cheap helpful tip. Hope it works.