Probably the weirdest question ever asked...

[gotfaith1989]

Ok, so I have a very strange question but it has been bugging the crap outta me and I want to know the answer.

 

Here is my birds neck (of course, a plucker)

 

 

Ok so there are three pieces of skin that connect his head to his body...but on Rocky he has all three, but as you can see, the one on HIS left is full of air! Literally if you push on it (which he hates) it has air in it. I have NO idea if this is normal or not...could someone pretty please check their Grey to see if this is normal at all?

[Jingles]

I am not sure, but I'm sure someone will be able to answer it!

[Talon]

Hmm, not sure either as I don't have a plucker. A vet visit to check would be my advice.

[Greywings]

Some bird swallow air into the crop looking rather balloon like. Horses will swallow air and chew on wood also , a thing they learned to do when bored, it could also be an air sac is ruptured. I would suggest a Vet visit to be certain all is well.

[MarcusCAG]

Well, our little Quaker parrot Beaker was a plucker before we got him, and sadly his feathers have not grown back even now... I don't think they ever will. So he has a little 'necklace' of missing feathers around his neck. Sometimes when he moves his head, his neck looks like a smaller version of what your photograph does. But it's not as pronounced either (the air), so that could just be the difference between species, if it is normal on bird necks in general. Personally it's never been at all a concern for me with Beaker, but if you think something is maybe wrong with your Rocky because of that extra air, then it wouldn't hurt to have it checked out.

 

P.S.- I just looked again and realized that, from your photo, it looks like that is the BACK of Rocky's neck. Beaker has a naked front of his neck. Perhaps there is really no correlation then, I'm sorry.

[Morana]

Some bird swallow air into the crop looking rather balloon like. Horses will swallow air and chew on wood also , a thing they learned to do when bored, it could also be an air sac is ruptured. I would suggest a Vet visit to be certain all is well.

 

Horses will swallow air in order to get "high". They fill up their bellies with air which makes their brain to think they just ate and release endorphin, which makes them happy. It shouldn't be encouraged. Whether is the same with birds I don't know.

[gotfaith1989]

Ok, so for all who are potentially interested...I found this article that says the following....

 

"THE AIR BUBBLES you see are a sign that an air sac somewhere in your bird's body has been damaged. The bubbles are either pockets of air - called subcutaneous emphysema - that has escaped from a leaking air sac, or they are air sacs located just beneath the skin that are distended due to an inflammation called air saculitis. An explanation of bird anatomy might help you picture what's going on. Instead of a diaphragm to separate the chest (thorax) from the abdominal cavity, birds have one body cavity filled with extensions of the lungs called air sacs. These thin-walled structures also sit just under the skin along the back of the neck and top of the head and even extend into some of the bones. Air sacs help birds fly and help keep waterfowl afloat. (In pelicans, air sacs under the skin on the front of their bodies allow them to dive from 30 feet without injuring themselves and then pop back up to the surface.) If the wall of an air sac tears, air will migrate up and form a pocket under the skin. When air sacs that sit just beneath the skin become infected or damaged and their connection to the rest of the respiratory system is blocked, they also can distend and form what look like bubbles. In my experience, these pockets of air, although unsightly, are rarely infected or life threatening. They're usually the result of a leaking sac somewhere in the bird's body that eventually heals, especially if your veterinarian can speed the process along with antibiotics. (Leaking air sacs cannot be surgically repaired.) However, bubbles can interfere with movement and make your bird uncomfortable. Drawing off air with a needle is a very temporary fix; the leaking air will only rapidly reform the pocket. An excellent way to take care of large bubbles is a Teflon stent, a small valvelike unit that is surgically implanted. The stent protrudes through the skin, allowing trapped air to escape. Depending on the location of the air bubble, the stent might be placed high up on the back of the neck where the bird can't reach it. Or it might have to go on the cheek, under the wing or along the back; however, in my experience, most birds leave stents alone. Stents can be left in place for long periods of time, even permanently. If the damaged air sac heals and the stent is no longer needed, it can be removed."

 

This was found at http://www.parrotchronicles.com/askavet/airsacs_askavet.htm and from what I see, this isn't a terrible situation, but also isn't normal. I will definitely bring this up to the vet when Rocky goes

[judygram]

from what I see, this isn't a terrible situation, but also isn't normal. I will definitely bring this up to the vet when Rocky goes

 

 

I think that is a wise decision and please let us know what you find out.