Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Isaac seems to still be his normal little self save one thing. Looks like he is bent on taking his chest feathers out and over the last five days he has done a pretty decent number on his chest feathers. It's starting to look a bit furry and I find feathers littering the bottom of the cage. There haven't been any major changes in routine or anything. Is he molting or developing a bad habit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaileysPapa Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Is he actually pulling them out? You say no major changes in routines, etc. Pardon my intrusion into your personal life, but, is anything happening that's upsetting his guardians? Greys are very intuitive and mirror their guardians stress. Without going into too much detail, when my wife and I have a particularly bad day, Bailey sometimes will not even want to come out of his cage. And he always wants to be with me. You don't have to answer here, if something is going on, I'm just pointing out that even though things don't include them directly, the "environmental stress" can affect them greatly. I hope I have not overstepped discretionary limits. And apologize if I have. Maybe a vet visit can rule out any organic or pathologic issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 He is breaking them off around his neck right now as I sit here. Snapping little ones off on the shaft. The only considerable stress is now that he is doing this. He seems really happy otherwise. But right now..he is snapping them off and I can't stop him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 I wish I knew of something I could do now. If anyone ahs any action I can take now, that'd be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I wish I could help but I have no experience with this issue so have nothing to say. Hopefully someone with experience will come along soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 I am gonna see if I can get him to vet to get him checked out tomorrow, but in the meantime....he has stopped for now. Trying not to make a big deal about it with him....but it was hard to watch him just tweak feathers off and see them falling. Overall, he still seems to be a happy bird, cruising around and being the child he is. But about 5 days ago I noticed a little spot starting around his tummy. Now it is all too often I see feathers gathering underneath him...and I get worried because what was once his beautiful tummy is getting ravaged now. I wonder if it's dryness or what. He's happily waddling across the floor right now saying "peek-a-boo". I don't know what is up with him. I'll get him checked out though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedawg Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Awww. I hope you get some resolution. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I am gonna see if I can get him to vet to get him checked out tomorrow, but in the meantime....he has stopped for now. Trying not to make a big deal about it with him....but it was hard to watch him just tweak feathers off and see them falling. Overall, he still seems to be a happy bird, cruising around and being the child he is. But about 5 days ago I noticed a little spot starting around his tummy. Now it is all too often I see feathers gathering underneath him...and I get worried because what was once his beautiful tummy is getting ravaged now. I wonder if it's dryness or what. He's happily waddling across the floor right now saying "peek-a-boo". I don't know what is up with him. I'll get him checked out though. A vet visit is certainly in order. You asked about dryness. If he is not bathing regulary and getting drenched with Aloe Juice, I would certainly recommend it. Excessive dryness can become very irritating. It is sad to see Isaac doing this. He is such a robust and fun loving grey receiving all the love in the world from you Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murfchck Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I do hope you are able to get to the bottom of this quickly! Yes dryness does play a roll sometimes and aloe mistings will help ease that but please get him checked out to rule anything else out first. My macaw started plucking his belly area when he was sick and that area was where he hurt so i have learned vet check first, then let the mind wander to come up with the why if there is a clean bill of health! It is heartbreaking to watch and see what he is doing himself, but know that they are still the same beautiful birds, feathers or not. (3 1/2 out 7 of mine pluck, so i hold a special place in my heart for the nudist birds, lol) Good luck and please let us know what you find out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 A vet visit is certainly in order. You asked about dryness. If he is not bathing regulary and getting drenched with Aloe Juice, I would certainly recommend it. Excessive dryness can become very irritating. It is sad to see Isaac doing this. He is such a robust and fun loving grey receiving all the love in the world from you Stephen. I would be completely unaware anything was wrong if it weren't for the piles of feathers. He's playing and bouncing off me as usual. Anyway...I have an appointment with him at 2:20OM today here... http://www.drexotic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 (edited) I'm glad you got a vet appointment so quickly. Hopefully they'll rule out anything major & should make you feel better. Your bond w/Issac being what it is, he's going to feel any stress. So the first thing right now is finding the most stress free way to proceed. The good news at this point is that he's "only" feather barbering. Since he's chewing his feathers, not pulling them out, he's not causing any damage that can't disappear w/the next molt. That's a very good start. There are a number of relatively harmless things that can be causing this. Something as simple as objecting to holiday decorating or even the level of energy. You said nothing had changed that you were aware of. But are you sure you haven't brought anything new in or maybe done some rearranging? Issac might also be hormonal. Have you seen any changes in him at all? One of mine is a chronic seasonal barber. She was picture perfect in October. But she's a real mess right now. Given her history for the last 4ish yrs, she'll be gorgeous again come April/May. She just gets a little bananas during her version of mating season. I would also recommend aloe baths to start. No matter why they're doing it, a nice bath can do as much good for a fid as it would for us. You can also use Chamomile. I get dried flowers at a local grocery store. Spraying a weak'ish tea is soothing. Feeding whole flowers has a bit of a mellowing affect. Pretty much the same as a person might get drinking a nice cup of chamomile tea. It seems to help Kura some & she loves it. So it might be something else to ask the vet about this afternoon. Hope you'll post as soon as you get home. We all know it's much easier said than done. But try not to worry in the meantime, okay? Edited December 26, 2013 by birdhouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I look forward to hearing what the vet thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 (edited) Yep we are just doing our normal thing this morning. The only things different would be that I have been on vacation, but home only slightly more often than normal. Isaac doesn't seem to mind this much. His behavior seems quite normal. Sexual frustration...that could be a maybe for sure. He does make his desires known sometimes. Over the last few days, when I get out of the shower, he fly's to my shoulder, does a phone ring sound, then a mourning dove call...then proceeds to get a little excited (beginning of panting). So I have been seeing slight elevations in his desires. Either that...or I get the idea something is itching his skin. There is no such thing as a nice bath with Isaac...he typically avoids them. I have given him a couple of quick ones over the past couple of days to see if it would help him. He didn't appreciate it much, but he seemed okay after the fact. He's doing a fabulous job of keeping me busy this morning as he usually does. LOL. If I try to spray anything at Isaac...I will be lucky to keep an un-mangled trigger finger. I tend to respect his desire to not have anything sprayed at him, but I can rub his tummy and take a few nibbles if I need to massage something in. I will report when I get back from the vet. Fortunately...it looks like they have some good folks there to help look at him. I just hope he doesn't get traumatized by the vet visit itself!!! I have to put him in his travel cage and that isn't usually the greatest thing in the world. When he gets scared of things, he flaps and I have to calm him down as much as possible. Hoping all goes well for my baby....I love this bird more than anything. I could barely make the appointment without crying...had to tell the lady on the phone to wait a sec while I choked back my tears to explain what I was seeing. Edited December 26, 2013 by Elvenking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 It always amazes me that they get put thru so much at the vet & come out of it pretty unscathed, for the most part! I don't know how that works, but it's certainly a small blessing. As far as Isaac not being fond of baths; doesn't matter. Well, it would certainly be nicer if he liked the actual bath time. But it's the after effects. So just go for it & don't pay any much attention to his drama. You can try to work w/him to see if you can find a more palatable delivery. Will he go into the shower w/you? Will he play in the sink if you run the water? Or can you interest him in a dish bath? Also, thinking you might read thru this thread under the circumstances http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?200091-Very-concerned-about-Talon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Well we just got back. He was not too thrilled about the exam...but he made it. He is sitting and occasionally getting back to his little sounds. Now flying around again too. Getting full blood work done on him and will hear the results tomorrow. Nothing could be seen wrong with him physically. Probably hormonal. Guess I will just make sure he has all he needs...good food and veggies, toys...and tons of love. I'll let you know the blood results. I love my baby so much....Just want him to be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 It is so rough when they are not fully themselves. Hoping the vet either finds something or can give you an idea of what to try to stop it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 That's a good start! When I suggested you ask about the Chamomile, I didn't think to suggest you check out the Rescue Remedy that Katana600 uses w/Gilda. But maybe you could check that out too. So assuming your luck holds & it's "just" hormones, you've got 3-6 weeks of fun ahead. Did the vet cover handling, light, etc? Every little bit helps even when it doesn't fix the problem. And the more you can keep Isaac busy w/other things, the less time he's at his feathers. Usually everything they really like to shred or destroy & keep it coming! Kura has zero attention span when she's hormonal. So I try to make sure she gets something different a few times a day. Hint: to keep from going broke, I usually take toys out before they're destroyed & reintroduce them later. Still wouldn't rule out bathing as a likely cause, though. Or at least a contributing factor. Either way, a slightly more aggressive bathing campaign might be good, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Yeah...I will try a few more things to get Isaac into bathing...if not just getting him in when I first get in the shower. He's gonna get some new toys too. Not that he isn't spoiled and showered with attention...lol...gosh....my daughter is often jealous I am pretty sure. I'm there for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaileysPapa Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 (edited) Good luck at the vets! Where do you live? Could he be dry because you have heat on in the house because it's winter? The vet is always the best first place to seek answers. Please keep us posted. For showering, you could get a shower perch. My Bailey hates the shower, but, will sit on his shower perch watching me shower, and I get him wet anyway. Not as wet as I'd like, but, some is better than none. Edited December 27, 2013 by BaileysPapa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 The important thing is to not stress out about it, if you show any kind of reaction or be displeased about it, watching him do it and trying to get him to stop may only make it worse, they pick up on so much that we do not realize so its best to not give it any attention and just act as you usually do, I know it hurts you to see him pull or bite off those feathers but he is still the Issac you know and love even if he is more ragged looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acappella Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hope you get a quick response from the vet. Does Isaac never get into his water dish and try to have a splash. Do you maybe get home and see signs there's been water splashed around? When Dorian does this, it's the only time he's truly open to the idea of bathing. If I keep changing out the water with fresh cold stuff, he'll let me spray him with a fine mist, also cold. I keep a sprayer full in the fridge for this at all times so I'm ready to go when he is. It is good news that's he's barbaring not plucking, so far as damage to the folicoes goes, so cling to that. Here's hoping it's "only" hormonal (although, try saying that to most women and see how far you'll get). Love to you and your little guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Thankfully...this morning there was no new pile of feathers. That was a little reassuring. We are just trying to carry on as normal now with a little added TLC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Good luck at the vets! Where do you live? Could he be dry because you have heat on in the house because it's winter? The vet is always the best first place to seek answers. Please keep us posted. For showering, you could get a shower perch. My Bailey hates the shower, but, will sit on his shower perch watching me shower, and I get him wet anyway. Not as wet as I'd like, but, some is better than none. I live out in California and had been running the heat...so I had thought that too. The vet said his skin looked good though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inara Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Arrived late to the thread, as I'm catching up after Christmas and a houseful of people. It's so apparent how very, very loved and well cared for your precious Isaac is. You are doing a great job of maintaining your cool under what is certainly one of those periods with our beloved fids that can cause us some anxiety for sure. It's just so stressful when something appears amiss and we don't know what-the-quack is at the root of it. One thing for sure, Isaac could not be in more loving hands. Keep us posted on how he's doing and a big four-toed hug to you both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvenking Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Arrived late to the thread, as I'm catching up after Christmas and a houseful of people. It's so apparent how very, very loved and well cared for your precious Isaac is. You are doing a great job of maintaining your cool under what is certainly one of those periods with our beloved fids that can cause us some anxiety for sure. It's just so stressful when something appears amiss and we don't know what-the-quack is at the root of it. One thing for sure, Isaac could not be in more loving hands. Keep us posted on how he's doing and a big four-toed hug to you both! Ohhhh my how I love him. I was happy to see him back to making his rounds on his noises this afternoon. The vet visit was a bit traumatic for him. He cuddled very close to after all the fuss. He seems to be back to his normal self now. Still picking some stragglers just now from the tummy. It's just a soft furry covering now. He has moments when he is just preening normally...but around his tummy...he is not wanting the feathers there right now. I wonder if I have been having too much physical contact with him. Sometimes I can't resist rubbing my face on him, or kissing him on his back...or beak...or tummy...or the top of his head...side of the beak......ok..... I am a bit fanatical about him at times. I have heard that it might not be good to do because it could further make difficult feelings they get around mating season. I will try not to kiss him too much. LOL Edited December 28, 2013 by Elvenking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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