Poor Kiwi. Going to the vet next week for a rather embarrassing issue

[Kiwibird]

For some time now (couple months maybe?), I noticed Kiwi seemed to be preening his butt area more than normal. At first, I wrote it off as me being crazy as my husband hadn't noticed and thought I was being a hypochondriac/worry wart. He has not shown ANY other signs of illness or distress. Eats like a pig, playful, demonly, big healthy poops, not sleeping more than normal and not preening any other part of his body frantically/more than normal... It seems odd to have just one "symptom" of an illness or issue. But as time has gone on, it seems to have been getting worse and in the last few days even my husband has noticed he is clearly experiencing some kind of discomfort in his butt area as the preening has become more frantic and some of his feathers around the butt are starting to look a little frayed (presumably from so much preening). Last night his leg was the last straw- I noticed his leg twitching a little before he started frantically preening his butt. My interpretation of the behavior is that of an intense itch. I called his vets office (the only CAV in the state) this morning and they booked him an appointment for next Thursday to give him an exam (and obviously contact them if he gets worse or he starts acting sick). I'm so embarrassed for him- having to see the vet for an itchy butt:08: Undoubtedly going to be an unpleasant exam for him. I just cannot imagine what could cause this that wouldn't have other clear and obvious symptoms. Any ideas?

EDITED/UPDATED: Here is a better photo of his butt region that is much clearer than the one I posted initially:

 

[Kentuckienne]

Is that a whitish/yellowing lump on the right side in the photo? Maybe a small infected follicle, or is it just the photo?

 

[Kiwibird]

Is that a whitish/yellowing lump on the right side in the photo? Maybe a small infected follicle, or is it just the photo?

That is actually a small yellow fluffy feather (it's hard to get a clear photo of the underside of a bird!). It actually appears to be growing on his vent. The vet has said Kiwi has the birdie equivalent of a "widows peak" with some small blue feathers growing on his cere itself. We're kind of wondering if he has feathers growing one place they shouldn't if he might not have a feather growing on the back end where it shouldn't.

 

[Kentuckienne]

That's feather? sure looks like one larger and one smaller lump, separated by pink.

 

[Owlet]

definitely doesn't look like a feather

 

[Kiwibird]

Better photos coming momentarily. Definitely little feathers...

 

[Kiwibird]

Here we go. No lumps, just small fluffy feathers/feather shafts (?):

I'm not certain, but after zooming in as far as possible on my computer, it looks like he has feathers growing on the vent itself and I don't think that's normal is it? Perhaps fecal matter is getting caught on them and causing irritation? Also, the frayed/blackened ends on the feathers in the butt region aren't anywhere else on his body, so it is my assumption this is from the excessive preening in the region and not something else. And yes, the yellow areas are very fluffy/fine feathers, you can clearly see when you zoom in farther in photo viewing/editing program more than the forum photo allows.

This is FAR closer than I ever wanted to examine his butt! Wonder if I should email this photo to the vet before the visit since it is pretty clear/close up and can be examined in detail without a squirming bird hindering efforts?

 

[EllenD]

This behavior can be caused by a ton of different issues, but since Kiwi isn't having loose or abnormal stools, no blood in his stools, no changes in the color or texture of his Cere, and is not at all acting like he is sick, i.e. no lack of appetite, no fluffiness, no lethargy, etc., then most of the very serious causes can be ruled out, especially if this has been going on for a couple of months.

The fact that he has some small downy feathers on and right around his vent is normal, yes, but it is possible that fecal matter can get stuck around the vent in those feathers, causing itchiness, yes, but not for a couple of months. If this was going on for a couple of months you would have noticed the fecal matter matting around his vent, and typically when that happens for that long a period of time, there is a serious underlying health issue and other signs/symptoms of illness, so I doubt that is the problem.

They do just simply get areas/patches of dry, flaky, itchy skin, as well as have skin allergies. I can't tell from the photos really, but it doesn't appear that his skin is flaking or dry, nor is there any redness or swelling of the area, which is odd, and is indicative of an internal vent issue, but could still be an allergy.

Did anything in his diet change around the time that this started? How about any changes around that time period inside of his cage or on the common places where he typically spends his time/sits on? Any new perches, new toys, anything that his vent area comes in-contact with on a regular basis that's different? Different laundry detergent? Their vent areas are technically bare, at least right directly around the vent, so it is possible that when they sit/perch/lay on anything that the skin around the vent comes in-contact with whatever they are sitting/laying on, so you have to brainstorm and think about where he commonly sits/lays, and what may have changed around that time in your house, or in his cage or his "spaces"...

Have you tried gently washing his vent area with an antibacterial soap, patting it dry, and then immediately applying something daily like all-natural aloe vera, or Hydrocortisone cream, or Benedryl cream? I would definitely try this, at least once or twice, and see if it brings him any relief. This most likely isn't a cure for what the issue is, but may bring him great relief and keep him from over-preening and scratching the area. And using any of the above creams will not cause any harm, so why not try to bring him some relief...

This may very well be a case of mites or worms, as the number one sigh/symptom of GI worms is constant vent scratching. It's most likely not mites because he would probably have them elsewhere too, but it could very well be worms or some other GI parasite, which will easily be diagnosed by your Avian Vet by him taking fecal swabs.

The other thing it may be is a GI Fungal/Yeast infection, or a GI Bacterial Infection...Do you give him Probiotics? You may want to start doing so, as again, they will do no harm at all, but do often help all the way around. And any time your bird is put on any type of Antibiotics for a bacterial infection, you should always put him on a course of probiotics during and at least directly after they finish the Antibiotics, as it's very common for Antibiotics to kill-off all the healthy, normal bacteria in the bird's GI system, which is what keeps fungal infections, specifically yeast, at bay. So it's very common for birds and also reptiles like Bearded Dragons to develop GI thrush or other fungal infections secondary to them taking a course of antibiotics for a bacterial infection.

Again, fecal swabs will confirm or rule-out any bacterial and/or fungal infections that may be causing the itching, but in the meantime, since you have to wait over a week to get him to the vet, I'd pick-up a bottle of avian probiotic powder and start giving it to him daily, for 2 different reasons, first because he may very well be suffering from a budding yeast/fungal infection and the probiotics will help to kill off the fungi, and secondly because if he ends-up having a bacterial GI infection that is causing this instead of a fungal infection or a parasite, he will be put on a strong, broad-spectrum antibiotic to treat it, which can very well cause a secondary fungal infection, so giving him a daily probiotic supplement for the week prior to possibly starting a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics will up his normal/healthy GI bacteria count and protect him from developing a potential secondary fungal infection. Petco sells a great Avian Probiotic supplement, it's a pretty large bottle of powder with a dose-size scoop, and you simply add it to his food once a day, and it costs $9.99. I'm a believer in probiotics, prebiotics, and natural medicine/supplements, and I have been giving all of my birds a daily probiotic for years, along with the baby budgies I used to breed, and none of them have ever had any type of bacterial or fungal infections, not ever, and never had a baby develop slow crop or crop stasis. Prebiotics and probiotics can not do any harm, they can only help, which is a good reason to at least try them...

While waiting for his vet appointment I would again cleanse the area gently with an antibacterial soap and warm water, pat it dry, and then apply either all-natural aloe vera, hydrocortisone, or Benedryl cream, this will give him tremendous relief and would also help if he happens to have some kind of dermatitis back there, or something like Feather Cysts, which i doubt in the vent area, but is possible.

Make sure you are checking his droppings every single day for looseness, mucous, paleness, or any sign of blood, and report this to the avian vet. Also, watch him to make sure he isn't scratching or frantically preening any other area of his body as well that you haven't noticed.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I'm thinking yeast infection or something of that nature.

 

[Kiwibird]

@EllenD- Thank you so much for the very detailed response! To answer some of your questions:

- I also momentarily thought allergy, but to what? He gets a really varied diet but there hasn't been anything in it he hasn't ever eaten before. He gets lots of fresh fruits and veg, beans, grains, some seed and nuts etc... As for soaps, detergents etc... I have very bad sensitivities to those things and don't use ANY soap, detergents, shampoo, lotions etc... anywhere around our home or else I break out in terrible rashes so I am 100% sure it isn't that.

-I have been putting aloe juice in his water the past few days and washed his butt area thoroughly with a mister with just water last weekend. I didn't apply anything as it makes me so nervous. I thought about rubbing some coconut oil on it but was afraid it could make it worse by making his feathers sticky. I don't keep western OTC medications of any kind in the house like Benadryl, but do have some colloidal silver and a plethora of essential oils. I was debating putting some colloidal silver in his water after seeing how it's gotten worse the past few days in case it was an infection, but was unsure if it was safe for parrots.

-I put apple cider vinegar (with the mother, about 1/4tsp) in his water about 2X a week for the probiotics but I do not give him any special probiotic supplement. He also likes to eat my homemade soy yogurt, which is rich in probiotics. His foraging seed mix (Vitacraft Menu Care Complex) has probiotics and DHA, but it isn't a large part of his diet and I'm unsure what part of the mix actually contains the probiotics. Pretty sure he mostly just eats the seeds/corn/rolled grain bits and not the pellets out of it. We have a Petco down the street, I'll swing by later and pick up a jar.

Once my husband is off work, he can restrain him while I wash and apply some aloe to his vent. Should I also add some coconut oil or colloidal silver as well? Any other helpful essential oils or herbals? If I can give him some relief pending his vet visit, I'm all for it. It does seem to be quite uncomfortable for the poor little guy and I know how bad itchy skin can feel. I can only imagine how much worse it would feel in such a sensitive area!

 

[EllenD]

I'm thinking yeast infection or something of that nature.

More than likely, that's my guess as well, either a GI fungal infection or bacterial infection, or both...it could possibly also be worms of some type, some of them are so tiny that it's extremely difficult to see them in the feces, and their eggs are extremely difficult to see anyway. But typically with worms you also get some blood in the stool, which he hasn't had. So with the lack of any exterior signs of swelling, redness, dry skin, etc., it's most likely a bacterial or fungal GI infection.

 

[Kiwibird]

I'm thinking yeast infection or something of that nature.

More than likely, that's my guess as well, either a GI fungal infection or bacterial infection, or both...it could possibly also be worms of some type, some of them are so tiny that it's extremely difficult to see them in the feces, and their eggs are extremely difficult to see anyway. But typically with worms you also get some blood in the stool, which he hasn't had. So with the lack of any exterior signs of swelling, redness, dry skin, etc., it's most likely a bacterial or fungal GI infection.

I hope the poor little guy hasn't been sick all this time I would feel terrible for writing it off for so long (I already do as it's now gotten worse). Where on earth would he have picked up a fungal infection or worms over the winter though? My husband and I haven't been sick with anything, and certainly not with fungal infections or worms! He went for a regular checkup in Novemeber and wasn't in the outside world again until starting sporadically last month as the weather began warming up. I started noticing the increase in preening near the butt in maybe late Feb. early March...

 

[SailBoat]

Sorry to hear this. Yes, send the photo to your CAV, At least they get a heads-up and likely will allow a more targeted visit.

We always have 'Soother Topical Spray' on-hand. Its a distilled water, active aloe vera disillate with antipruritic and anti-inflammatory mix. It reduces superficial itching and provide relief for skin inflammation and irritation. As you well known, some aloe products contain additional products that can cause more problems, especially irritations of skin that is already inflamed.

Ellen has hit just about every possible corner and up and down the center of the court, there is little if anything to add to her Posts. Excellent coverage of the possibilities. That said and as she also covered, the majority do not apply since there are not additional indicators.

I'm not a big believer in drinking water as a consistent method of providing near anything resulting from their extreme variation in water intake. It can't hurt, but IMHO its just not a consistent method of administering. Providing supportive products like probiotics, it really is not that critical as hit or miss (variation) is acceptable.

Please follow your personal guidelines regarding 'products' used in your home! No reason to add to anyone's discomfort, especially yours! Take care with what you use as the last thing that one wants is to accidentally cause addition discomfort.

Keep a close eye (poor Kiwi) on the area, being watchful of any signs of skin breaks, cuts, etc...

FYI: If Kiwi is comfortable with you preforming very light rounding of his upper bill's point. This will greatly reduce the irritation of that sharp point continuing over the same area. Something like the difference between rubbing your arm with your soft finger tips and using a sharp knife. Better to file too little than removing too much.

 

[EllenD]

Well fungal and bacterial infections can come from anywhere, you never know where unless there is another sick bird close by. And fungal infections in particular are often the result of imbalances in GI bacteria, and can also be caused by certain foods.

I doubt it's worms, as he'd most likely have blood in his stools, along with other symptoms, but one of the common symptoms of worms is scratching around the vent, so that' why i mentioned it. More than likely he has a bacterial or fungal infection that will be easily diagnosed by cultures and treated with meds.

Don't feel badly at all, as you said his only symptom has been scratching around his vent area, so that's a hard one to judge. I wouldn't necessarily assume something was wrong either if that was the only symptom. This isn't uncommon at all, in fact it's quite common for parrots to develop GI bacterial and/or yeast infections and have no symptoms for quite a while, at least no symptoms that seem urgent or like anything serious is going on.

 

[SailBoat]

Sorry Ellen, it seems we have both been Posting at the same time!

 

[Kiwibird]

So I went to Petco and bought some "Quicko" probiotics. I will put them in his food and water. Would I be correct in assuming starting out on a probiotic could come with some runny poops as his body adjusts?

I also got a little spray bottle. I plan to put aloe and a few drops of colloidal silver in it and spray his vent. Unless the vet tells me to specifically, I'm just not all that in love with the idea of rubbing anything down there. The aloe juice I got to add to his water contains only cold pressed aloe juice and lemon juice. I specifically did not buy other brands because they contained questionable preservatives. I'd imagine the lemon juice would help too if it's bacterial/fungal.

 

[Kiwibird]

Sorry to hear this. Yes, send the photo to your CAV, At least they get a heads-up and likely will allow a more targeted visit.

We always have 'Soother Topical Spray' on-hand. Its a distilled water, active aloe vera disillate with antipruritic and anti-inflammatory mix. It reduces superficial itching and provide relief for skin inflammation and irritation. As you well known, some aloe products contain additional products that can cause more problems, especially irritations of skin that is already inflamed.

Ellen has hit just about every possible corner and up and down the center of the court, there is little if anything to add to her Posts. Excellent coverage of the possibilities. That said and as she also covered, the majority do not apply since there are not additional indicators.

I'm not a big believer in drinking water as a consistent method of providing near anything resulting from their extreme variation in water intake. It can't hurt, but IMHO its just not a consistent method of administering. Providing supportive products like probiotics, it really is not that critical as hit or miss (variation) is acceptable.

Please follow your personal guidelines regarding 'products' used in your home! No reason to add to anyone's discomfort, especially yours! Take care with what you use as the last thing that one wants is to accidentally cause addition discomfort.

Keep a close eye (poor Kiwi) on the area, being watchful of any sides of skin breaks, cuts, etc...

FYI: If Kiwi is comfortable with you preforming very light rounding of his upper bill's point. This will greatly reduce the irritation of that sharp point continuing over the same area. Something like the difference between rubbing your arm with your soft finger tips and using a sharp knife. Better to file too little than removing too much.

Blunting his beak tip a bit is a good idea. I'll give it a try with the nail file, but we'll have to see see how well that goes over:54:.

I add ACV to his water, and at the moment aloe juice, but ya, if he needed actual medication in a specific dosage, I would administer differently. Kiwi does drink water pretty consistently from his dish (always has) but not enough that I'd trust he'd be getting enough of a specific medication.

 

[Kiwibird]

Well, I gave his bottom a spritz with the aloe/silver solution and boy was he not a happy camper about that! "WTF mommy! You evil, foul human, leave my private regions ALONE!" I managed to chase him around the cage and sneak a couple good spritzes on there and hopefully that helps soothe it a bit. He is now chewing a toy furiously to cope with the trauma of having his butt spritzed

 

[LoveMyConlan]

Poor Kiwi hopefully whatever this is ia an easy fix and he's back to normal and healthy soon. Let us know how he's doing and keep us updated!

 

[SailBoat]

Poor guy! I promise not to tell Julio!

FYI: Aloe tends to cake with repeated applications. So, avoid extended use without a good flushing (bath) with plain water. With your normal shower schedule, Kiwi will not have any issues.

If for some reason, you find yourself needing to do this 'misting of the rump' into the future. Consider not running him around his cage trying to mist him, but as part of your normal method of providing a body mist. And for the others who are reading this, NEVER MIST A PARROT IN THEIR FACE!

The tiny black bits look like root buds for feathers that I see on Julio where he plucks. I honestly do not know whether Feathers on the vent is a rare event or not. And, I can assure you that Julio joins his friend regarding having his bottom looked at, let alone any targeted interest /misting! Death to all evil Humans!!!