Hi! I posted a week or two ago with a question about the cause of some feather damage I observed on my new cockatoo’s wings and tail. I was concerned about possible PBFD.
A quick update; I took him to the vet last week for a checkup, nail trim and to be tested for PBFD. The test came back a few days ago and it was negative. The vet said that he appears in good health other than the damage to his feathers and being slightly underweight. She believes the feather damage is a behavioral issue and due to him chewing on them. She also thought his previously poor diet could have contributed to their condition as well. I’ve since started weighing him weekly with my kitchen scale to make sure he’s gaining weight.
We adopted him about 2 weeks ago. Since I adopted him I have switched his diet. His old owners weren’t feeding him a pelleted feed. They fed him mostly fruits/veg and then just a lot of human food and junk food like pizza and French fries. I started him on Zupreem as soon as I brought him home, which he likes. I also give him free access to plenty of healthy veggies, and give him fruits and nuts as a treat. I do plan to try to switch him to Harrison’s once I pick some up.
I was really hoping his coat would start to improve now that he’s on a good diet and is getting plenty of time out of his cage. Before I acquired him he was caged for much of the day, and not in a room where he could even see people. Now, I have him either out of his cage with me, or let him hang out on top of his cage with the cage door open where he can see me pretty much all day. The most he’s been in his cage since bringing him home two weeks ago is 2-3 hours a day, if we need to go somewhere or if I’m working on something like cooking.
However, it seems like his feathers are getting worse? He has been having a hard time adapting to a nighttime ritual. I know he is supposed to get 12 hours of sleep, but he cannot seem to sleep more than 10 hours. No matter how early I put him to bed he is up at 7. If I try to put him to bed before 8:30-9:00 he just cries until that time. I have tried some things to fix this.
We started putting him in his travel cage at night and putting him in a room which is dark and quiet. This seemed like it was working? He has no problem with going in the travel cage, and was sleeping through the night. However, a few days ago I put him in at the normal time and he threw a bit of a fit yelling after I left the room. I didn’t think too much of it as he does that sometimes? I didn’t want to let him out or go to him and reinforce the behavior, and he eventually settled down and went to sleep. But I noticed the next day he had ripped out a lot of feathers on his chest leaving a quarter sized bald spot. I was mortified and am now afraid to put him in the travel crate at night.
This leaves his large cage which is set up in the living room. He seems to prefer this, but there is no way he can be getting enough sleep in the living room. I don’t think we even get 12 hours of darkness where I live during the summer, and there are huge windows which can’t be completely blocked off. I ordered a light proof cover for this cage, but it has yet to arrive. I’m hoping it will get here in the next couple of days and that it may help.
Though most of the damage seems to occur at night, I’ve also noticed him pulling out or barbering feathers at random throughout the day on a few occasions. Even when he is with me, which is where he wants to be. It’s very frustrating, as I feel like we’re doing everything we can for him while his old owners sort of neglected him for years, yet his coat seems to be looking worse and worse? Could this just be due to the new environment and taking some time to get comfortable? Is there something we’re missing here?
He has plenty of toys as well and his cage is quite large! I also make sure to take him outside for a bit each day, as I know they need to get some direct sunlight and we live in a warm climate.
Any advice appreciated!
Edited to Add-
The environment in our house is very calm. We don’t have children, it’s just my husband and I. We have a couple dogs, but they don’t try to bother our cockatoo and he’s been in a home with dogs before. Our household is generally quiet, and we don’t even have family visiting since everyone is currently on shelter at home orders.
A quick update; I took him to the vet last week for a checkup, nail trim and to be tested for PBFD. The test came back a few days ago and it was negative. The vet said that he appears in good health other than the damage to his feathers and being slightly underweight. She believes the feather damage is a behavioral issue and due to him chewing on them. She also thought his previously poor diet could have contributed to their condition as well. I’ve since started weighing him weekly with my kitchen scale to make sure he’s gaining weight.
We adopted him about 2 weeks ago. Since I adopted him I have switched his diet. His old owners weren’t feeding him a pelleted feed. They fed him mostly fruits/veg and then just a lot of human food and junk food like pizza and French fries. I started him on Zupreem as soon as I brought him home, which he likes. I also give him free access to plenty of healthy veggies, and give him fruits and nuts as a treat. I do plan to try to switch him to Harrison’s once I pick some up.
I was really hoping his coat would start to improve now that he’s on a good diet and is getting plenty of time out of his cage. Before I acquired him he was caged for much of the day, and not in a room where he could even see people. Now, I have him either out of his cage with me, or let him hang out on top of his cage with the cage door open where he can see me pretty much all day. The most he’s been in his cage since bringing him home two weeks ago is 2-3 hours a day, if we need to go somewhere or if I’m working on something like cooking.
However, it seems like his feathers are getting worse? He has been having a hard time adapting to a nighttime ritual. I know he is supposed to get 12 hours of sleep, but he cannot seem to sleep more than 10 hours. No matter how early I put him to bed he is up at 7. If I try to put him to bed before 8:30-9:00 he just cries until that time. I have tried some things to fix this.
We started putting him in his travel cage at night and putting him in a room which is dark and quiet. This seemed like it was working? He has no problem with going in the travel cage, and was sleeping through the night. However, a few days ago I put him in at the normal time and he threw a bit of a fit yelling after I left the room. I didn’t think too much of it as he does that sometimes? I didn’t want to let him out or go to him and reinforce the behavior, and he eventually settled down and went to sleep. But I noticed the next day he had ripped out a lot of feathers on his chest leaving a quarter sized bald spot. I was mortified and am now afraid to put him in the travel crate at night.
This leaves his large cage which is set up in the living room. He seems to prefer this, but there is no way he can be getting enough sleep in the living room. I don’t think we even get 12 hours of darkness where I live during the summer, and there are huge windows which can’t be completely blocked off. I ordered a light proof cover for this cage, but it has yet to arrive. I’m hoping it will get here in the next couple of days and that it may help.
Though most of the damage seems to occur at night, I’ve also noticed him pulling out or barbering feathers at random throughout the day on a few occasions. Even when he is with me, which is where he wants to be. It’s very frustrating, as I feel like we’re doing everything we can for him while his old owners sort of neglected him for years, yet his coat seems to be looking worse and worse? Could this just be due to the new environment and taking some time to get comfortable? Is there something we’re missing here?
He has plenty of toys as well and his cage is quite large! I also make sure to take him outside for a bit each day, as I know they need to get some direct sunlight and we live in a warm climate.
Any advice appreciated!
Edited to Add-
The environment in our house is very calm. We don’t have children, it’s just my husband and I. We have a couple dogs, but they don’t try to bother our cockatoo and he’s been in a home with dogs before. Our household is generally quiet, and we don’t even have family visiting since everyone is currently on shelter at home orders.
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