Chest Touches

[Xtreme575]

Hi all, just to let you all know, Paco and I made it home from the holidays safe and sound. I think he really liked all the excitement and noise that my family made while we were there. They were all blown away by how well behaved he was, and I was proud that he started to step up for others besides me...

 

However, that is not the reason for my post. As some of you may recall, I have had Paco to the vet twice now for his chewing feathers directly under his crop. Tonight I was amazed at how many white downy feathers were showing through, so I took a better look and it looks as though he has been chewing even more, making the grey feathers more thin, thereby revealing the white down more.

 

I wanted to feel for some pin feathers, to see if that might be what is irritating him, so I moved my hand in to just feel what was happening in that area. He protested. No real noises or anything, but kept pushing my fingers away with his beak, and when I persisted he put enough pressure on my finger between his beak to let me know that he wasn't going to tolerate my carrying on.

 

What I did feel felt kind of puffy, but I don't know if it is because he is a bit pudgy (God I wish he wasn't clipped). My question is, do your Greys allow you to touch them just under their crops, right at the top of their chest? I can touch Paco anywhere else on his body, but not there. Is that some sort of sacred area for Greys?????

 

Anyway, I'm feeling frustrated, and as much as Paco and I like our current vet, I am going to make an appointment to see another avian vet. For those of you in BC, I'm going to try to get in to see Dr. Anne McDonald, I hear she is probably one of the best avian vets in the province, it's a minimum two hour drive, but I just don't feel satisfied that this happy, well adjusted parrot has some mental disorder. I think there is more to it, and the puffiness has made me feel this even more strongly.

 

I'd appreciate any of your thoughts, you are all so helpful!

 

Happy New Year!

 

Ryan

[JillyBeanz]

Good to hear you had a good holiday. Harvey likes to be stroked in that area when he's sleepy, at the end of the evening - he pushes his crop area into my fingers so that I stroke there. That area is "puffy" - if you watch when he whistles etc it expands a great deal - so when it is relaxed it is an expanse of skin.

 

Good luck with the new vet x

[danmcq]

I suspect he is molting and touching that "Picked" area with little pins is a no-no due to the prickly pain he feels when touched.

 

Drenching him with a 100 percent Aloe Juice mist from a spray bottle 3x weekly would help.

 

It's good to hear you are going to see another Avian vet just to ensure there is nothing more serious as the underlying issue.

[Xtreme575]

Thanks Jill and Dan, Jill, this is even further down his chest, near where the keel is.

 

Dan, would he be in a molt this early? He will be 7 months on January 10th. I'd love it if he was, maybe we could dump some of these damned clipped primaries! I am spraying him with aloe every second day. The non-aloe days are for a shower.

 

Thanks for your help guys!

[danmcq]

Yes, at that age and this time of year, I would expect you to start seeing a lot of down feathers on the cage floor.

 

It's good to hear you have already been misting with Aloe. That will help get the skin supple and much less itchy.

[SFsailor]

I was under the impression that a well adjusted AG likes to be touched. Since it is a social expression and all.

 

Mine, while not always wanting petted, will ALWAYS give me a "kiss" by letting me touch her beak, while she give a light nibble to my finger.

[Luvparrots]

If there is a puffy spot and it isn't his crop, please do have it checked out. Ana Grey loves to be touched all over. She was clipped when I got her as a baby at 4 months and she was a little over a year I believe when all her flights molted out and she started to fly. So be patient the flying will come.

[Xtreme575]

Ooops, sorry, I double posted...<br><br>Post edited by: Xtreme575, at: 2010/01/01 02:55

[Xtreme575]

Paco loves to be touched, just not in that area. When I got him at about 3.5 months, he was already chewing the ends of the feathers in a straight line, right across his chest. I've had him into the vet twice, but the vet told me that there is nothing physically wrong with him.

 

However, it seems that Dan is right on the money. I came home tonight to find a couple of small grey feathers that have no defects on the floor. So I guess he must be starting his first molt, I just didn't expect it this soon!

 

Dan, I have to credit the forum with the early aloe misting, as well as the majority of the good habits I've tried to diligently follow. Grey owners all seem to acquire encyclopedic knowledge of birds, and those of us who are new, sure can learn a lot! So I'm trying to take in as much as possible to keep my fids happy!

 

My finches just finished their molts, I guess I better get the vacume out again!

 

Now off to further research a molt for a CAG...