Hoopoo (the Lorikeet) needs help , he Is Losing Feathers – Please Help!

[Hoopoo]

My Lorikeet Is Losing Feathers – Please Help!
Hi everyone,
I'm reaching out with a heavy heart and hoping someone here might have advice or experience with what my lorikeet, Hooppoo, is going through.
A few months ago, I noticed he started losing feathers on his chest, and it's just gotten worse over time (photo attached_
he is wet in the photo but the bold patch of feather is missing on his neck and chest is visible specially when he is wet ). I took him to an avian vet right away. After a very expensive visit, blood tests, injections, and a round of medications including antibiotics, we still have no answers. The feather loss hasn’t stopped, and it seems to be progressing.
The vet considered multiple possibilities – a skin condition, mites, parasites, or some sort of infection. They treated for all of those, including giving me a pest spray for him and his environment. I also bought him a brand-new cage just in case something in his old one was causing it. But despite everything, the problem continues and no clear cause has been found.
I'm completely devastated and honestly starting to feel helpless. The vet seems to have run out of ideas, and I’m worried I’m watching him suffer without being able to help.
Has anyone seen something like this before? Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas, or experience with feather loss that didn’t respond to standard treatments? I’d be incredibly grateful for any guidance or support.
Thank you so much

 

[LaManuka]

My Lorikeet Is Losing Feathers – Please Help!
Hi everyone,
I'm reaching out with a heavy heart and hoping someone here might have advice or experience with what my lorikeet, Hooppoo, is going through.
A few months ago, I noticed he started losing feathers on his chest, and it's just gotten worse over time (photo attached_
he is wet in the photo but the bold patch of feather is missing on his neck and chest is visible specially when he is wet ). I took him to an avian vet right away. After a very expensive visit, blood tests, injections, and a round of medications including antibiotics, we still have no answers. The feather loss hasn’t stopped, and it seems to be progressing.
The vet considered multiple possibilities – a skin condition, mites, parasites, or some sort of infection. They treated for all of those, including giving me a pest spray for him and his environment. I also bought him a brand-new cage just in case something in his old one was causing it. But despite everything, the problem continues and no clear cause has been found.
I'm completely devastated and honestly starting to feel helpless. The vet seems to have run out of ideas, and I’m worried I’m watching him suffer without being able to help.
Has anyone seen something like this before? Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas, or experience with feather loss that didn’t respond to standard treatments? I’d be incredibly grateful for any guidance or support.
Thank you so much

I'm very sorry you're going through this with your lori, @Hoopoo. Personally I've never owned a plucker but I've been close when I once had a quaker who exhibited some very concerning behaviour. In his case happily it turned out to be something else entirely but I do have some understanding as to how we feel we've failed them somehow when this occurs. The following link may also help give you some insight....

Plucking: A Search For Answers

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations. It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers...

www.parrotforums.com

As you've been to the vet, presumably an avian specialist, and had lots of work done to no avail, the only other thing I can think of personally is he might be going through some kind of frustration stemming from an inability to reproduce. Have you noticed him getting maybe a little too ... shall we say "friendly" with a favourite toy or on his perch? I once had a little purple-crowned lorikeet called Lilly, whom I lost to complications around infertile egg laying some years ago. She did not pluck to show her frustrations but she did become EXTREMELY angry and vicious during her breeding cycle, which lasted about six months out of every year. That was how it manifested with her, so perhaps plucking is the way these feelings are manifesting with yours? This is of course purest speculation on my part, but as you and your vet appear to have ruled out most other things then perhaps this may be a possibility.

As to how you might "fix" this problem, if indeed there is a fix, I'm really not sure. More toys, more attention, allowing him to "have his way" with that toy whenever he wants rather than discouraging the behaviour, these may help. I could not even begin to fathom what the root cause of his problem might be, but it sounds to me like you are a very loving parront who will continue to make every effort to help your little sweetheart. Sometimes plucking cannot be solved, but I do hope you can find a solution for your baby.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I'm so sorry you and Hoopoo are going through this. Is Hoopoo plucking his feathers? How old is he? How long have you had him?

 

[Hoopoo]

I'm so sorry you and Hoopoo are going through this. Is Hoopoo plucking his feathers? How old is he? How long have you had him?

Hi Thank you so much for your responce, I don't see him plugging much rather than normal grooming but he shed the feathers than plugging from my undrstanding. He is about 5 years old . This is going on for about 2_3 month. It's the same spot but getting bigger its his chest and neck it seems like he didn't grow much feather there and it looks bold on that spot but it's an slow progress and seems he prduxlce feather on other area. I v been stressed recently I m not sure if he is picking up on my stress maybe . I don't know what to do he is everything to me . He is so sweet. Plus he used to be more affections with me, he still is but I notice for past dlfew days its a bit less.
Thank u again for ur kindness and care for him

 

[Hoopoo]

I'm very sorry you're going through this with your lori, @Hoopoo. Personally I've never owned a plucker but I've been close when I once had a quaker who exhibited some very concerning behaviour. In his case happily it turned out to be something else entirely but I do have some understanding as to how we feel we've failed them somehow when this occurs. The following link may also help give you some insight....

Plucking: A Search For Answers

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations. It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers...

www.parrotforums.com

As you've been to the vet, presumably an avian specialist, and had lots of work done to no avail, the only other thing I can think of personally is he might be going through some kind of frustration stemming from an inability to reproduce. Have you noticed him getting maybe a little too ... shall we say "friendly" with a favourite toy or on his perch? I once had a little purple-crowned lorikeet called Lilly, whom I lost to complications around infertile egg laying some years ago. She did not pluck to show her frustrations but she did become EXTREMELY angry and vicious during her breeding cycle, which lasted about six months out of every year. That was how it manifested with her, so perhaps plucking is the way these feelings are manifesting with yours? This is of course purest speculation on my part, but as you and your vet appear to have ruled out most other things then perhaps this may be a possibility.

As to how you might "fix" this problem, if indeed there is a fix, I'm really not sure. More toys, more attention, allowing him to "have his way" with that toy whenever he wants rather than discouraging the behaviour, these may help. I could not even begin to fathom what the root cause of his problem might be, but it sounds to me like you are a very loving parront who will continue to make every effort to help your little sweetheart. Sometimes plucking cannot be solved, but I do hope you can find a solution for your baby. I

 

[Hoopoo]

I'm very sorry you're going through this with your lori, @Hoopoo. Personally I've never owned a plucker but I've been close when I once had a quaker who exhibited some very concerning behaviour. In his case happily it turned out to be something else entirely but I do have some understanding as to how we feel we've failed them somehow when this occurs. The following link may also help give you some insight....

Plucking: A Search For Answers

If you've spent very much time with parrots you've probably heard the term or seen the results of plucking. Plucking is disturbing and complex, in many cases the reasons are difficult to pinpoint. There are no easy answers or explanations. It's a terrifying event to discover a pile of feathers...

www.parrotforums.com

As you've been to the vet, presumably an avian specialist, and had lots of work done to no avail, the only other thing I can think of personally is he might be going through some kind of frustration stemming from an inability to reproduce. Have you noticed him getting maybe a little too ... shall we say "friendly" with a favourite toy or on his perch? I once had a little purple-crowned lorikeet called Lilly, whom I lost to complications around infertile egg laying some years ago. She did not pluck to show her frustrations but she did become EXTREMELY angry and vicious during her breeding cycle, which lasted about six months out of every year. That was how it manifested with her, so perhaps plucking is the way these feelings are manifesting with yours? This is of course purest speculation on my part, but as you and your vet appear to have ruled out most other things then perhaps this may be a possibility.

As to how you might "fix" this problem, if indeed there is a fix, I'm really not sure. More toys, more attention, allowing him to "have his way" with that toy whenever he wants rather than discouraging the behaviour, these may help. I could not even begin to fathom what the root cause of his problem might be, but it sounds to me like you are a very loving parront who will continue to make every effort to help your little sweetheart. Sometimes plucking cannot be solved, but I do hope you can find a solution for your baby.

I appreciate your kind response

 

[DonnaBudgie]

There is a recent active thread started by one of our members, @wrench13, titled "Salty is in trouble with plucking" that has a lot of discussion and links to other source information regarding parrots thst pluck.

Are you finding more feathers than usual on the floor of HooPoo's cage? @wrench13 has an Amazon, Salty, who seems to be plucking then eating his feathers because he's not finding the missing feathers.

It's obvious how upset you are and much you love HooPoo. Wrench13 is going through a similar situation with Salty and he's pretty devastated.

 

[Hoopoo]

There is a recent active thread started by one of our members, @wrench13, titled "Salty is in trouble with plucking" that has a lot of discussion and links to other source information regarding parrots thst pluck.

Are you finding more feathers than usual on the floor of HooPoo's cage? @wrench13 has an Amazon, Salty, who seems to be plucking then eating his feathers because he's not finding the missing feathers.

It's obvious how upset you are and much you love HooPoo. Wrench13 is going through a similar situation with Salty and he's pretty devastated.

I think I become depressed over his issue to be honest . I hope somesourt of solution and a miracle happen i m sure there is a solution

 

[Hoopoo]

I think I become depressed over his issue to be honest . I hope somesourt of solution and a miracle happen i m sure there is a solution

It seems he is growing g feather as u see but in bold part its not much as it is in the picture .I feel maybe he is lacking something . He started to eat show his Calsum white toy which was handling which was there foe years and he was never intrested to eat it .I gave him multi vitamin and vitamin d stuff like that but it's not working his food is the powder that I mix with water

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It's understandable that you're depressed over this. I would be too, and I'm sure @wrench13 feels all the things you're feeling. You've come to the right place for emotional support because so many members have had this problem.

I hope there's a solution. Maybe it will resolve itself as his feathers grow back. Whatever happens., HooPoo is special and needs you and your love. Some members have birds that have plucked for years and they're still great birds, even with bald spots.