White wing feathers on green cheek

[Megsmeadow]

Hi everyone, I'm new on here and looking for some advice! My sister adopted my green cheek a few years ago when my circumstances changed. He is 8 years old and has just had his annual check up at our avian vet.
I've not seen him for a wee while and noticed today he has white feathers on top of his wings but even more on the underside. My mum said the vet said it might be a disease and may not be able to do anything to help. He's otherwise fit and healthy, well about 2grams heavier than they would like but active and cheeky as ever. I'm wondering if this is a nutritional deficiency though! He gets fresh fruit and veg every day but he's on a seed mix and I'm fearing this is damaging him. He's a lovely wee soul and just want to do the best by him.
My sister is on holiday so I'm wondering if this is a good time to change him to pellets (Harrison's?) while my mum is looking after him.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Welcome to the forum!

Are you able to post any photos of his strange white feathers? Also did you take him to a certified avian vet? or just a vet who see's birds? Did they do any testing? if so are you currently waiting for the lab results to find out which disease it might be?

Anytime is a wonderful time to change him to Harrison's, it's a excellent pellet. Along with pellets, chop mixes are a great food to feed.

this thread will be useful for you http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

Please let us know when you find out if he has a disease or not, and what type it is

 

[Megsmeadow]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is a certified avian vet, they are actually part of a big university so lots of specialists. They do specialist talks for pet owners from lecturers who are training new vets.
As far as I know they didn't do any testing but I'm also relying on my mums take on the visit so they may have discussed different possibilities. The vet did know he was on a seed diet and advised pellets every time. I don't want to accuse my sister of not caring for him properly, she loves him to bits. But I think nutrition may be the key. I wonder if it was kidney or liver disease they might have mentioned which could be a result of diet.
In any case changing to pellets now won't do any harm and could only benefit him. I'll try and get some pictures tomorrow, though he prefers to eat the camera rather than posing for it!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Your welcome

Sounds like a great place to see a avian vet, someone who's teaching the vets lol

Nutrition can do amazing things. When I adopted my galah cockatoo Rosie she had organ failure and was emaciated, it took a long time but after nearly three years she's finally healthy and doing amazing. When she came to me she was only eating sun flower seeds, I immediately removed those and she then went to only eating safflower. It took 6 months to get her off of seeds. I used different pellets, but only when she started eating Harrison's did her recovery vastly speed up. so don't give up when your sister's conure first refuses.

I understand your pain, my sister is similar with animals. She wants pets, but isn't good about keeping cages clean and doesn't pay attention to how much food there is (her daughters feed them). But then my pets are my priority, and hers are not. Her priority is her children which is fine. But she shouldn't have pets if she's not at least going to be more responsible.

 

[Kalidasa]

Is it fluffy light-colored down feathers? Or a non-down feather that has become white? If its just the down feathers there's nothing to be alarmed about, just peeking out thru the feathers.

 

[legal_eagle]

I wondered the same myself. Sounds like he may be plucking his own feathers.

 

[psittac]

Seed diets can lead to feather plucking

 

[Megsmeadow]

I'll try and get a good picture today so you can have a proper look, but I think it's non down feathers turning white. I've not seen under his wings yet, just going on what my mum was saying.
Thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[Megsmeadow]

Here's some pictures, the inside of his wings are worse, as if the colour is being bleached out of his feathers.

 

[DallyTsuka]

could this possibly be a pied mutation of green cheek conure? the primary flights are faded white, and the contour feathers are patchy yellow... to me almost looks like a pied thing.

i dont know conures so it's a guess more than anything.

 

[Megsmeadow]

Thanks for your reply! I don't know about pied, would that not come out earlier in a birds life? This little man is 8 years old.

 

[MonicaMc]

First off, that's not a green cheek conure.... can't tell for sure but I'm guessing a maroon bellied conure?


Second off, that's interesting! I've seen it in sun conures, but not the little conures. I could ask around.

 

[Klaery]

Looks a little like stress bars. I cannot see the characteristic 'bars' in your birds feathers but I have never seen that in real life birds with stress bars either, they have all looked similarly patchy. The way your birds feathers are missing pigment is sometimes what you do see also, the bars aren't always dark. That can be diet or stress related.

As others said make sure you see a true avian vet and for sure give the diet change a go