My parakeet keeps scratching its dirty bottom. What could be wrong?

You can mist him with warm water to encourage preening. This will promote healthy plunage. If he continues to itch, it may due to mites or infection. These would require an exam with your veterinarian for confirmation. Mites can be treated with an over the counter spray. Read labels v\carefully to confirm the chosen product can be used on birds. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Change the cage paper daily. If an infection (bacterial or fungal) is diagnosed, your vet can prescribe the appropriate medication.

Check her vent for redness or swelling. Monitor for loose droppings. Submit a sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. If she is of egg laying age, have her physically examined by your vet or an experienced avian vet to diagnose or rule out being egg bound.

The consistency and appearance of droppings can be affected by diet. It is possible Flint had some fruit or fluids which resulted in looser droppings than normal. If he is behaving normally, keep an eye on what he eats and his droppings. If they remain loose and larger than normal, consider an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. You may want to submit the droppings to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial/fungal overgrowth. It is never recommended to medicate a pet without the advice of your veterinarian. Inappropriate antibiotic use can lead to resistant bacteria and may complicate any underlying condition which can delay diagnosis. If Flint did have an infection that was not susceptible to the antibiotic used, then there would be no improvement. An exam would be recommended to diagnose and properly treat any infection. Your vet can also take a look at the wing feathers to rule out infection (mites, bacterial, viral, fungal). You can bathe or mist him with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage.

Your bird may have a skin infection, like from a bacteria or fungus, or he may have skin mites causing him to be so itchy. I would recommend taking him to the vet to be checked out so that the underlying problem can be treated and he will stop being so itchy. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This actually sounds like a normal behavior for a male parrot. This is often an uncomfortable talk to have with clients, because this behavior is usually associated with masturbation. Yes, parrots masturbate and they may do it more or less depending on the time of year or situation. Below is a link to more information about this topic. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/masturbation-in-birds It would be best to take a video and show your vet the next time he does it to confirm that this is what he's doing. I hope that helps and all is well with Pepe.

If Zachary will allow, gently clean the feathers around his vent. A bath or misting a couple times a week may help keep him clean and promote healthy plumage. The change in diet may account for the issue. As long as he is behaving normally, monitor him and enjoy your new winged friend! Symptoms that would be of concern are lethargy, perching all fluffed up, decreased appetite, loose droppings or sitting at the bottom of the cage.

With parakeets the cere is blue in male and tan/brown in females. If you think a female, egg binding should be considered. In either, male or female, drier feces, tail bobbing could be respiratory but also intestinal. Decreased feces is possible to decreased food consumption. A veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.