My senior cockatiel is plucking wing feathers with skin issues. Vet?

The grey covering is a sheath that is on new or developing feathers. His skin looks irritated which may be due to parasites or infection. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian. Clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, perches and toys. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Transition him to s commercial pelleted diet such as Harrison's, Lafeber, Exxact or Pretty Bird. You can supplement with a small amount of a fortified seed mix as well as with fresh vegetables and fruits.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. I'm sorry that Luca is having this issue. Feather picking in birds is EXTREMELY difficult to determine the underlying cause in many cases. The first thing you have to do is rule out any underlying medical causes so you need to take her to an avian veterinarian for an exam and some testing. Your vet will also discuss the diet (improper diet can cause bad feather quality causing them to pick them out). If you can rule out an underlying medical condition then the issue is likely behavioral and your vet can help you with treatment which typically includes a combination of environmental enrichment and behavior modification medications. If you try to just keep "putting a band-aid" on the issue by avoiding the vet you are not going to get anywhere. If the problem is an underlying medical condition and that is not addressed, no matter what you do at home to "treat" her she will not get better. There is no quick fix for this problem. I have linked below a good article for you to read about this problem in birds. I have also linked a topical mediation you can apply to the wound until you can get her to a vet. It is a spray hydrogel. If she doesn't like the spray sound you can apply the gel with your fingers or a cotton ball. ( https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk491/files/inline-files/Feather-picking_in_Birds.pdf ) ( https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/vetericyn-plus-antimicrobial-wound-and-skin-hydrogel-for-pets ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Monitor him for excessive preening or feather picking. If you see either. Have him examined by your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian to diagnose the underlying cause. In the meantime, clean and sanitize the cage, bowls, toys and perches. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Bathe or mist him with warm water to promote preening and healthy plumage. Feed a balanced diet including a commercial pelleted diet, fortified seed mix and fresh fruits, greens and vegetables. You can also feed cooked rice, beans and plain pastas in small amounts.

This is usually due either to a skin infestation (very commonly mites are involved) or a skin allergy. A check up is required to confirm or rule out these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Without a photo it would be hard to say what is going on, but if the ear is visible, has discharge or looks like it's seeping, or Sparky is plucking feathers from it, I would bring him to your vet ASAP. They can check for infections that may need cleaning and antibiotics or other medications to treat. Until you can get to your vet, keeping the area clean and dry, keeping Sparky or any other birds from picking at it, and keeping him in a warm hospital cage with access to food and water may help.

Hello. It appears your question got cut off so please consider reposting it. I will say though, based on what you wrote, that Snow White may certainly be sick. If there was no veterinary exam, fecal, or blood work done beforehand, then there’s no guarantee that the birds you acquired weren’t harboring some disease that may only show itself in times of stress (like entering a new aviary, reproduction, etc). Since you already have many birds, their health is potentially at risk and I would recommend having a veterinarian evaluate the new birds. At minimum a physical exam and fecal should be done, but consider Chlamydia screening, blood work, fecal gram stain. Other infectious disease tests can be done but your vet can recommend what they feel is indicated. Good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about your cockatiel. Fragile feathers could be an indication of a poor diet but also some other more serious diseases. If he is that weak, a veterinarian should be visited. Providing heat support in the 85-90 degrees could help stimulate the immune system but does not replace a veterinary visit. Good luck.