My untamed zebra finch got olive oil on him. How do I clean it?

Hi, I would recommend a warm bath with Dawn dish soap to help remove the oil. Keep Bert warm and away from drafts. I do strongly recommend an exam by a veterinarian to make sure there isn’t anything more serious going on, and you can find other bird veterinarians online at AAV.org. Good luck!

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.

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.

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.

Do not bath your birds, but offer them a larger shallow dish with water so they can take a bath themselves. There is no need to clean the feathers that turned orange, eventually that will fade, it is not detrimental. Do not clip their wings and be patient. eventually they will be tame.

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.