Feather chewing :(

[DexMom]

I took Dexter in for his 1 year check-up with the avian vet. All seemed well, his weight is good and he is fit condition. Doc was very happy with the diet I'm feeding and reviewed his cage set-up. Before we came, the vet assistant called and asked me to bring a picture of Dex's cage from the outside, as well as a picture of the inside set-up. I thought it was a little strange, but this vet likes to see his patients' living space. He thinks it's a bit crowded and asked me to take out one perch to free up some space, which I will do.

Dexter's feathers were looking raggedy at the ends and I asked the vet to take a closer look. He thinks Dexter is over-preening and self-mutilating by chewing the ends of his wing and tail feathers . He's stripped part of the first set of clipped wing feathers right down to the shaft. So, he ran a poop smear and blood panel and we'll see if there is anything medical going on, but thinks it's more likely behavioral.

The vet's first suggestion was more stimulation - challenging foraging toys, puzzle toys, radio/television in our absence, more training time (which we just started and I can certainly increase as we go along). He's also a big proponent of outdoor time when the weather is appropriate, which we are set up for with his vacation cage on a stand that can roll out to the deck. He also encouraged me to let him grow out his flight feathers, teach him to fly indoors, then harness train him - which I'm a little intimidated by, but will consider once the indoor training comes along a little further.

I'm so sad. I feel like his self-harm is my fault because I'm not providing a rich enough environment for him. I hate this feeling.

 

[RavensGryf]

Sounds like you have an amazing vet. I know it's frustrating, but don't beat yourself up or blame yourself. Some species like Eclectus (and certain individuals even more so) are just very sensitive about things. I had an Ekkie before as well. Sometimes you can do everything in terms of diet, stimulation and environment right, and still have issues. I do hope that's not the case with Dexter. Crossing fingers that with little changes it will make all the difference in the world to him.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Oh please don't be sad or upset! I agree with Julie, your vet sounds totally amazing! SO very thorough, SO engaged in every aspect of Dexter's life. Those are hard to come by these days.

As for his feathers, and please forgive me if you've mentioned it in other posts, how often does your pretty green fellow get a bath?

I can't comment on his cage being 'crowded'. Could you share a photo or two with us, please? (And no, I'm NO vet by any means, just very curious, that's all)

You can make your own foraging toys, or buy some. Eclectus are THINKERS. Their 'ticker' never stops. The more you give them to do - the better. No, this doesn't mean you have to be around all the time to satisfy their needs, it could truly be as simple as adding several (difficult) foraging toys for him. The rewards could be either treats and/or foot toys???? (Just thinking out loud now).

Please have a look at Stephen's (Anansi) phenomenal thread on training, right here: http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/60496-jolly-maya-training-update-blooper-reel.html

Heads up!!

 

[melbourned]

Wow! What a great vet. Wish could find one that would give my guys that kind of attention.

 

[DexMom]

Dexter gives himself a bath, in his water dish and/or in a shallow ceramic dish in the bottom of his cage, whenever I vacuum. Sadly, I need to vacuum pretty much every other day (I have 2 very hairy dogs) and I'd say 90% of the time he takes a dive/dunk when I do (the bathtub dish always goes in then, but sometimes he chooses the water dish, silly boy). I've tried giving him a shower both in the kitchen sink and in the bathroom shower and he HATES it, no matter the water temperature or how much distance I give him from the water itself (trying to let him go into the gentle shower at will). He very actively tries to escape the water and squawks like I'm killing him. I've tried letting him perch on the bar (with a towel thrown over it so he doesn't slip) when I shower and he stays as far from the water as possible. Since he's self-bathing I didn't think it was a big deal, but when he does that he's not getting really thoroughly soaked. The vet suggested when the weather warms up that I try putting him outside in the rain (in his vacation cage), which I will do.

Here are the pictures I shared with the vet:

Cage when Dexter is inside:

Cage/playspace when Dexter is out:

Cage interior:

I know it looks stark inside. There is usually a large toy hanging in the upper left corner, but it was removed and the replacement not yet put in when I took this shot. There are also usually toys hanging from the front just out of camera view as well. I have a new batch of toys going in today, after I give his house a good steam cleaning. Nothing like some photos to illustrate how badly a deep-cleaning is needed!

 

[wrench13]

No offense, but that cage looks kinda small for an Ekkie. Especially jammed full of perches and toys. And the black one, I would hesitate to put a lovebird in that. Just saying.

 

[Anansi]

Please don't beat yourself up about Dexter's barbering. I happen to think that you're a fantastic mom to your ekkie, and you're doing the exact right thing right now. Namely, doing all you can to find out how to make life for Dexter better.

Personally, I'd take steps to get him more thoroughly soaked. He might not like getting showered, but I think that needs to be non-negotiable. You can, of course, try a ton of different techniques to see what he feels most comfortable with... or which annoys him the least. Sometimes it's shower temp, or pressure. Maybe you can use the vacuum to get him in the mood for a shower, first. (You already know the vacuum has this effect.) Or you can try using the gentle mist setting on a spray bottle and pump until your arm cramps. (I don't miss those days! Thankfully, mine are cool with the shower.)

Some birds just need time to get used to showers. Some find it a bit scary at first.

As for the toys, I'd go with a bunch of hanging, soft wood chew toys. Ekkies go crazy for soft wood. Shreddable toys as well. And as the vet said, foraging and puzzle toys.

As for the cage size, yes, it is a bit on the smaller side for an ekkie. But if he's out most of the day, that wouldn't necessarily be much of an issue.

Please keep us updated.

 

[DexMom]

No offense, but that cage looks kinda small for an Ekkie. Especially jammed full of perches and toys. And the black one, I would hesitate to put a lovebird in that. Just saying.

The small black cage is for weekend excursions. I have it out for him to climb around so he gets used to it and it feels more familiar when we travel. It's about as big as I could manage to handle/carry for traveling and the biggest one that fits in our plane. I'm planning to try using it to bring him out on the deck once the weather warms up a bit more. If he seems comfy out there and it looks like he'll spend a good bit of time outside, I'll probably invest in a larger outside cage (if my efforts to convince my husband to screen in the deck don't work).

 

[DexMom]

I've tried misting him and he doesn't seem to like that either. But, since he's not doing a good enough job bathing himself, I'll figure out a way to get him good and soaked for his own good (even if he's not thrilled). Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Allee]

I can't add much to the great advice, I just want say I think Dexter is very fortunate to have such a wonderful mom. I also want to join the others in saying, Dexter's recent feather picking is not your fault. It sounds like you have an amazing vet that will do everything possible to help resolve the problem. Best of luck to both of you. I'm looking forward to positive updates.

 

[Uglow]

As other's have said, you're doing a great job with him. I think just keeping his beak busy is key. As for the shower, I had to struggle with that a bit too. We Made it a point to take him in whenever one us went in. I put his shower perch up high and out of the way so he get's the steam and watches us and chats with us. Basically making the shower a fun place to hang out. I started taking him in at 2:30 pm everyday to get his own shower. A Tupperware lid in the tub to amplify the "rain" sound and a small toy tied to the end of the shower perch. It was hit and miss for a month or so. But now around 2pm he knows it's shower time.

Best of luck.

 

[Anansi]

A Tupperware lid to amplify the rain sound? Brilliant!