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Everything posted by Elvenking
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I would tell Isaac what I always tell him. He gets an, "I Love You Boy!" at least 100 times a day. I'd talk to him and thank him for living with me. "I love you my best friend. Thank you for always being the light in my day when I walk through the door after work. Greeting me with that, "Hi litttah boooooooyee" is about all I need to bring my life state to a great high. Thank you for gracing my shoulder with your curious little self. I hope you love all the cups that I give you to play with and appreciate the household items that I end up surrendering to your curious whims. I hope that your cage is cozy enough and that I keep it interesting enough for you. I hope you like our dinners together. Thank you for letting me kiss you on top of that cute little head of yours. One last thing my little friend. Can you please tell me what I can do help you not chop your feathers off? I would do anything to help you my sweet boy. My house is yours my grey little angel. May you live long and fly a lot. My heart is bound to you and I will love you forever. Then I would touch my nose to his beak like I do.
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Well, I have reached acceptance for Isaacs plucking. It's bittersweet. The times he plucks(or cuts feathers, cause he doesn't pull them) have no consistency and I have tried everything... New Toys....slow at first, but he has a ton of stuff he plays with. It just goes...play with toys.....preen a lot....and pluck when I think it's the thing to do. Rescue Remedy....Pretty much as if I did nothing at all. Showers every day, sometimes multiple....sometimes with Pluck No More remedy.... Seemed to be working for a while with some minor plucking in between. However, as soon as we hit the winter months, it's just like about a year ago when he first plucked...not quite as bad, but we have fuzz on the tummy and upper wing surfaces. Changed diets all over the place. He's now a pretty health plucking bird. Spending more time with him. I even set some days aside to spend a little more time with him....well...he plucked then too. Of the total time he spends preening, I would say maybe 1% of those result in some actual plucking. However, there is no pattern to it. Sometimes in the cage, sometimes out, but in no particular area of the house. Sometimes he will go 3-4 days without any at all. There are still plenty of feathers to pluck. My new method. If I see him plucking, I just don't even pay attention. I will go vacuum up those feathers afterwards...give him a great big kiss, and move on. He just thinks it is the thing to do I suppose. I just call him my little 'fuzzy boy' now and commit to having a plucker from now on. I pray on occasion to have whatever it is revealed to me, but I guess it just isn't to be. I don't think that he sees anything wrong with breaking feathers off. So a bit less than I had hoped for. However, all can rest assured that he is loved and being taken care of the best I can. So ends this thread....thanks for all the help.
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He actually doesn't look too bad for a bird with a fuzzy tummy. At least it's not bald. His wings were looking so beautiful again though, so it really hurt to see him pick a few from that area, but he hasn't done nearly the damage he did when he first plucked. He's lookin okay. His charming personality does a lot to overcome it too. I'll post pictures later. My daughter heard him say "Aaaaalright boy" this morning, that's kind of funny.
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He ended up not doing too much more damage....and he played with one of his new toys. Now at least I can find more like that one and keep em coming.
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This afternoon, I have the privilege of seeing him picking at his tummy and his wings. Man...hopefully he won't pull everything again. But hey, what can I do. Can't stop him. I try to distract him, but I can only do so much. I am gonna give him a shower.
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I am not sure of what you are hearing from my posts, but Isaac is genuinely loved an insane amount. I'm pretty sure I think of him and do everything a human being can do for a parrot and even go beyond what may be reasonable for some. Sure I am disappointed in having made some progress and then taking another step back again. It is more of a sadness though. It's hard to actually love him and not feel that way. I merely feel for whatever reason he has for plucking his feathers and cannot seem to draw a connection for which I can do anything. However, I am not upset for long. Soon enough, it's back to love and smooches. He is the happiest bird in the world when I see him. Clucking like a chicken, playing with cups, being totally weird. I think anyone would be hard pressed to walk up to a bowl full of feathers and stay cheery all the while. Even so, I do my best not to show him too much. Soon I won't even have that reaction if it continues long enough. He's gonna be loved no matter what. I wouldn't want you to think anything otherwise, he's my best friend.
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I think that once they do it, they do it for life. He can't wear a cone forever. I'll probably have to leave him for more than a day at some point and he will just rip himself apart then. He is just going to do it at any time he feels like it is the thing to do. It's a habit for sure. His whole back was all together fine, then he started picking a little around those protruding bones of the wings. But it is mostly confined to the tummy. I can't do anything else without a good reason, and right now...there are none. It's something I will likely never figure out. Been happening for close to 11 months now. We'll have to see if he even plays with the new toys I got him for his cage. He hasn't really touched toys in a long time as well. I think he may just sit there and wait for me all day which is a heart-wrenching prospect as well. But we'll see. He mainly plays when I am home. And it's with large plastic containers that he likes to chew up. Then he does preen a lot too. Mostly properly. But every once in a while....and often enough for sure.....pluck...pluck...pluck.
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That's a good suggestion. I may have to order one of those for Isaac. Thank you! I was kissing my little guy tonight on his fuzzy tummy.
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Well here is the last update you'll see regarding this. He still picks. He wants to pick. I cannot stop it. No pictures to be seen of my boy anymore. At least I don't have to worry about him plucking, he is gonna do it. Thanks for all the help guys, but it was all for naught. On with life. It's gotta be a habit and I have no way of breaking it. I already donate the majority of free time to my boy, and if that doesn't do it...I mean...what will. I came home this afternoon and his water dish was filled with about 20 feathers broken up. This was unlike any other day, he hasn't plucked many like that in a long time. I just got done buying him 75 bucks worth of new toys after that. I seem to never give up, but I think I have a plucker for life.
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Yyyyyeeaaahh. I kind of like my fingers where they are. Ha! Not a soul in this world would get something like that on Isaac.
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This is certainly one that makes folks laugh when they hear it. I love it cause it sounds just like me going crazy making chicken noises at him.
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Yeah, I wouldn't know what to do at that point. You have to do what you have to do. Isaac is doing pretty good, but I still don't know if I will ever see a whole bird again though. I see a couple getting popped off here and there. Along with a new batch coming in now. Kind of like 2 steps forward and one back here and there. I am doing all I can so if that doesn't do it..who knows. Then if I ever have to go away or something, I am thinking he will pluck again as well. What am I to do at that point. I wouldn't mind seeing him whole again though. We'll see what I get for Christmas this year....but all I want is a fully feathered birdie! LOL. I have done all I can do at this point. He has been leaving the tummy feathers alone though. I can't tell if he is molting, but I see the primary feathers getting replaced now. Tons of the white fluffy feathers coming in. I see many pins too. We'll see On the plus side....he clicks like a chicken now. Baawwwwkk...bawk..bawk...bawk....baaaaawwwkkk. I do that when I make oven baked chicken for us. He loves it. I awoke from an afternoon nap the other day...heard him doing it...love it.
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I am trying...his tummy is looking really good lately. Over the weekend I did see a few feathers popping off, but I am not so sure he isn't molting right now at the same time. Tons of those white downy feathers coming in under his feathers. We'll keep an eye on him. He's doing good.
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I think he does. I thought about this a bit. When I had my appendicitis...I woke up in the middle of the night...literally dying in the bathroom...Isaac was of course covered. It must have scared him because after that, I was gone for a couple days. Maybe he wonders about the sounds he hears when he is covered. He does seem happier not covered.
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Ever since I have taken the cover off the front of Isaac's cage when he sleeps. The tummy is being left alone. Feathers are blooming and it's more full than it has been since last December when he first tore it up. He's looking good. He may be going through a molt at the same time, cause I see the odd feather from random locations of his body from time to time...but preening habits look very healthy. No more feathers than I would see from before this whole ordeal. More good pix to come.
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Yes...it is going very well. I don't even see any fluff, feathers or anything in his dish now.
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Last night. I let Isaac sleep without the cover on the front of his cage. Maybe he will prefer that. I'll try it for a while and see if it keeps the tummy feathers in place.
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He's doing wonderful elsewhere on his body. Here are some photos from like...right now. He actually looks pretty darned great these days. He's got a red freckle on his neck.
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Thanks to modern medicine, I didn't die on my dear friend. I for sure know that he is in tune with me by the way he behaves. He is merged with my life....he gets loads of love. I hear what you are saying about talking to them. I also do tell him that I will either be back...or be 'right' back depending on how long it will be. Sometimes when I go out the front door for just a few mins, I'll tell him that I will just be right back. So that he knows it won't be long in those cases. I always tell my guys in some way though. In addition, my birds are the only ones in the house the vast majority of the time, so they get talked to...a lot. My neighbors probably think a whole family lives up here.
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Okay...this is at least 4 times cheaper than reordering the Pluck No More. I can try this. Isaac was plucking at least 4 or 5 days before I went to the hospital, but maybe he sensed something I didn't. I could see how the hospital visit would stress him out, me being gone for longer than ever. I don't know he was pretty sad looking even before I got so sick. He is the sweetest and happiest character I know though. He knows he is safe here in my house and that everyone loves him. The way he rubs his head on my face and shoulder with his little eyes closed...I am the sure the little guy is happy when I am here. He's making fart noises at me cause he knows it makes me laugh. LOL. Cause when I laugh...then he laughs like I laugh which makes it even funnier. I will try the drops...I figure there is nothing to lose. I could either put it in his water or his morning soak and serve.
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Is this the stuff? How much would a parrot get? http://www.directlyfromnature.com/Rescue_Remedy_Pet_20ml_p/rr-pet20.htm
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I would try something like this if I thought that Isaac had any emotional issues. However, he is the happiest grey this side of the universe for sure. I could not imagine a more vibrant and happy bird in my mind. The Pluck No More was supposed to be a similar remedy. and those folks have already gotten close to 300 of my bucks, and I have no proof that it is having any effect.
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Do you think he might prefer to be uncovered at night? I have never tried this.
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I used to work on my computer sometimes after I covered him. I have since gave him all the space he needed to sleep a full night. I am as quiet as one can be. Since he is covered, I can only guess he is sleeping....I have never been able to peek at Isaac and see him sleep....ever at all. He would always hear me coming. I don't have to cover him. I am afraid if I don't though, that might stress him out. As soon as I do cover him....he takes his place on his food dish and does not move until he is uncovered the next day. What is the rescue remedy?