Feather Picking
Perhaps one of the most perplexing problems faced by owners of pet birds is the condition known variously as feather picking, feather plucking, or, especially in its more serious forms, self-mutilation. Comical as this may seem to outsiders the dedicated bird fancier realizes that a bird that has feathers only from the neck up either is, or soon will be, an ill animal. Equally frustrating is the prospect of a diligent breeder trying to figure out how he or she can market a scantily feathered psittacine or a poorly plumed passerine. Perhaps this article can help delineate some of the more common causes and feasible cures.
A list of probable causes for this condition would include, in no particular order, trauma (e.g. cuts or burns), parasites (mites, lice, ticks), nutrition, and behavioral. We shall develop each of these aspects individually then endeavor to offer suggestions for their resolution.
Lacerations and abrasions in birds often appear significantly more devastating then they actually are. Whereas mammalian, i.e. fur bearing, skin is closely adherent to the underlying at and muscle, avian skin is very loosely connected to subcutaneous tissue. A narrow but long slit in the skin covering the breast muscles of a bird may peel back under normal integumentary tension to expose the entire pectoral musculature. Fortunately, the actual cut edges are easily reapposed by any veterinary surgeon equipped to operate on very light-bodied individuals. By contrast, a wound exposing the entire pectoral musculature of a dog or cat may well take several intricate and lengthy reconstructive surgeries to adequately cover the area with healthy skin. So now the we successfully restored the integrity of the integument, how can we effectively keep an innately curious patient from reopening the incision? Obviously telling Billy the budgie to leave his sutures alone probably will be ineffective. However, there is something to be said for keeping his mind off his stitches, and hence his feathers, as will be covered later. Dependent upon the location of the incision or affected feathers, a light bandage may be helpful.
Bandaging any "lower" animal must be undertaken with some caution. We have all undoubtedly seen a dog, cat, or bird tear madly at a bandage or other foreign object adherent to their skin, fur, or feather. If they would stop with the bandage the only problem would be the task of constantly replacing the device. All too often this frenzied activity is carried over to the surrounding fur or feathers. In the illustration of chest sutures, a light total body wrap would protect both the incision line and avoid transference of any ensuing bandage picking to the feathers since all convenient ones are also covered. Again, this must be only sturdy enough to stay in place and loose enough to permit normal and stressed respiration. Remember that a bird has no diaphragm and must have free movement of the keel bone to breathe. Obviously this type of body wrap can be used effectively in some feather picking cases which are confined to either the back or the chest. |
