Is a macaw supposed to have a swelling where the neck joins the body?

[Mborda]

I too, am ready to adopt a b&g this morning...same plucking areas, same bulge. I do notice that once Molly calms down a bit the bulge subsides. Is she pooping normally?
I'm thinking this may be a stressed issues. When I adjusted her living arrangements at the zoo (where I volunteer and where she is coming from) her crop descended a noticeable amount.
Let me know if this changes once she adjusts to her new home.

 

[Mayden]

I always think plucked birds look really ugly - like chickens ready to be ate from a store!

That is a terribly mean thing to say to someone on their thread when they have a plucked bird.

Quoting out of context.

"I always think plucked birds look really ugly - like chickens ready to be ate from a store!
But there is something so endeering about them too, real cuties.".

 

[Pajarita]

Well, they do look like plucked chickens but that doesn't mean we don't love them and find them beautiful in our eyes, too. And, the funny thing is that, after a while, you don't even see the 'nakedness' in them, you just see 'them'.

That is the crop but it also looks quite enlarged so I would suggest a change in diet (more fiber and less protein) and feeding schedule (1 hour after sunrise for breakfast and dinner when sun is low on the horizon) and VERY close observation because, if it doesn't get better, the bird should be seen by a vet.

 

[mtdoramike]

I hate to see such a majestic bird in such distress. I think when they do this to themselves, they are trying to tell us something. But it's figuring out what it is. Still a beautiful sweet bird though.

 

[emmett518]

"Here's the deal! If you can't afford the vet when they get sick, you need to give up the birds for someone else who can! Why bother rescuing them when you can't provide better health care? I rescue birds too and everything comes out of my pocket!"

Maybe you're made of money, and can fork out whatever your vet demands you spend on your pets. I can't. I work hard for my money, and I have to spend my money carefully. I've seen too many vets that want to do a whole pile of expensive, work that could be skipped in favor of more selectively chosen treatment.

For example, I took my cat into Angell in Boston. They wanted to do $4000 worth of ICU, overnight stay, surgery, tests, lab work and observation. I didn't have $4000. So I spend $500 on the surgery, limited tests, and did my own observation and overnight care. To make a comment that I can't keep birds because I don't hand my checkbook to the vet is obnoxious, hurtful and ignorant. Sorry. I get really angry at people who accuse me of things without having a clue about the situation.

The person who bred my first macaw, and runs a large bird business told me to be careful going to a vet, because the bird can catch all kinds of nasty things at a vet's office. He told me that I should avoid the vet unless something is going on. I asked here because I wasn't sure if the bird was doing normal things. Further, I wanted to try to get a personal recommendation on a vet so that I could find someone trustworthy.

So far, bird is doing OK. Poops still messy at times, but bird is eating well, and looks good. Feathers growing back slowly. Still afraid of the stick.

 

[MikeyTN]

BUT I do know the situation, your unwilling to spend any money at the vet! I'm not asking you to spend on something that's not needed. Of course you need to carefully listen to the treatments they suggest because they're not always good. But it doesn't mean you shouldn't do some of them! And no I'm not made of money but I do love my animals enough to dish out the money even if I have to put it on a credit card to make payments. Yes birds can catch stuffs IF there's other birds around at the vet's office, BUT it doesn't mean you shouldn't do it either!

Last of all, please be watchful of your language on the forum as there are children in here as well. I read it before you even edited it!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Maybe you're made of money, and can fork out whatever your vet demands you spend on your pets. I can't. I work hard for my money, and I have to spend my money carefully. ......

Excuse me, but this tone is absolutely uncalled for AND unacceptable!

I can't think of a SINGLE member who happily and carelessly can pluck money from his money tree. You asked for our opinions and we are giving them to you to the best of our ability. We are NO avian vets, however, if we see a bird that may benefit from a long overdue exam, we WILL point it out, even recommend it.

This thread has obviously run its course and will be CLOSED.