My bird fell in oil. How do I safely clean her matted feathers?

Thanks for reaching out about Keaton. Just because he is not tame does not mean you can't bath him. Dawn dish soap or Johnson's baby shampoo work well. Hold under luke warm water under the skin, lather and rinse, fairly quickly. Provide heat support to dry off. If you leave him matted with oily feather, he can not insulate himself and is more likely to get ill. Good luck.

I am sorry to hear about Titan! I would consider bringing him to the vet for an exam to ensure that he didn't receive any burns from the hot wax. If he has an extensive amount of wax on his feathers you may also need the help of the vet to remove the wax safely. Small amounts that are not near the face can sometimes be removed with warm water containing very small amounts of dawn dish soap to help soften the wax with the warmth thereby allowing it to be removed, but if your parakeet has a large area covered with wax, doing this at home could be difficult and risky so a vet's help would be best.

Bathe or shower Hunter in warm water for at least 15 minutes. You can run the shower and let him play in there (supervised) to rinse him. Monitor for lethargy, difficulty breathing or decreased appetite in the next 24-48 hours. See your vet if necessary.

Thanks for reaching out about Kiwi. Birds are typically fastidious groomers and will groom themselves. But, warm water and a mild soap such as Johnson' baby shampoo or Dawn dish soap works well also. If bathing, provide a warm environment at which to dry. Good luck.

I would separate the birds for a few days with the heat lamp just so your healthier bird doesn't overpreen or stress out your other bird further. It is also a good idea to seek veterinary care in person ASAP to make sure she doesn't have any lasting injuries from the fly paper, stress, or anything used on her feathers, especially since she is showing so many general signs of illness.

Thanks for reaching out. The answer is, depends on the dish soap. Wildlife groups have been using Dawn dish soap on oil spill birds for decades. It is assumed they are rushing to treat lots of animals in a hurry, and therefore not getting a thorough rinse. They probably ingest some, but seem to do okay. Good luck.

You can soak her in a warm bath deep enough to submerge her vent for 15-20 minutes. Then use a bit of olive oil around the vent to help her lay. If this is not successful, have her seen by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian.