Dandruff

[ellsiebird]

My Senegal is nearly finished with her moult, but now there is 'dandruff' everywhere, she grooms and shakes it off alot, and i spray her though she doesnt enjoy it, and she is bathing/dunking her self but where ever she goes, its there! how can i stop or help this as i think its quite annoying for her as she grooms and itches alot more, though this could be the the last few emerging feathers..... but yeah how can i get her to think showers are fun??!! or other ideas please.... x

 

[suebee]

mine comes into the bath with me, she perches on my shoulder and i splash her, but she will not let us spray her

 

[Ecclipse]

Hi, Rosie also had dandruff when she molted and was forever scratching and preening. She would also start running around madly and then get into serious preening. When I took her to the vet for her check-up (I had just got her) he said it was normal and not to worry but if your very worried get the vet to check it out. I use a very fine mist spray bottle to bath her and then place a large bowl on top of her cage. I spray her on top of her cage or when she is inside depending on when she asks for it. She will usually flap frantically or splash at her water until I spray her. She then finishes off with the bowl.

Start using the spray far away so only a little of the mist touches him. Do it where he feels safe and comfortable and do it in passing. If you make a big thing of it he will get more scared. Once he starts fluffy and moving his feathers move the spray closer. He is bathing himself which is good and will do it when he feels he needs to. It might take a while before you can bring the spray closer or you may find he just doesnt like the spray and provide a big enough bowl for him to bath. If the dandruff persists rather get the vet to check him out then you have peace of mind.

 

[MikeyTN]

Have you tried taking her into the shower with you? As long as im in it too they feel comfortable! Just make sure water is luke warm!!!!

 

[Printer bird]

I'm guessing its not so much dandruff as it is the bits of feather sheath that he's preening away as the new feathers come in. The sheathed feathers are kind of itchy and uncomfortable so they like to get rid of the sheaths fairly quickly. If there are a lot of feathers, there will be a lot of "dandruff" bits. If you are concerned, though, a vet can rule out anything else. I have been giving my conure a bath with a bit of glycerine and rosewater in it (about a teaspoon of each) and sometimes with aloe. My conure loves bathing in sinks but will pretty much motor around in anything. Try even just setting your bird in water and letting him hop out. Some birds don't like water very much. My parrotlet would only bathe about once per week whereas my conure will bathe every day/second day as he loves water.

 

[MikeyTN]

Where you buy the glycerine from? Im gonna try that method. Was it you that did the post? I grow my own roses with no pesticides....so that part is covered....just wasn't sure about the glycerine...

 

[ellsiebird]

normally she is quite a fiesty one but when i use a mist/spray bottle, she seems to cower away, which normally she would tell you with her beak when shes not keen , i have tried talking and singing to her to make her happy whilst i do this, i might try the shower but have tried taps and sinks and she just desperately holds on me and crawls up my arms to get away from it all, im not worried to take her to a vet but would like to help her if she isnt comfortable with it all, will try her in a shower, thanks

 

[Printer bird]

Where you buy the glycerine from? Im gonna try that method. Was it you that did the post? I grow my own roses with no pesticides....so that part is covered....just wasn't sure about the glycerine...

I didn't post the original post but I certainly took the advice! I just picked up the glycerine at a organic grocer's near my house but later when I was at my local drugstore, I found that they have it there as well (they even have glycerine with rosewater in it!). You just have to make sure that its pure but usually it is. Its kind of nice because afterwards Charlie smells like a rose! He doesn't smell bad otherwise but instead of damp-slightly-pellety-bird (up close) he smells slightly-damp-slightly-like roses bird. He seems to like it and we have used it to help him with his moult and to deal a bit with a picking issue (which seems to finally be clearing up, cross fingers that it stays that way!).