Missing feathers

[lyndaelyzoo]

I would love to get some advice on my African Grey's missing feathers near his beak. He has a bald spot on the left side of his face near his beak, which is not due to molting. The avian vet performed a throat culture, but did not find any harmful bacteria and just suggested that I increase his immune system through holistic treatment. Then I mentioned the case of the missing feathers to a pet store owner, who said that it was scaly face mites. I have been researching this online, and it seems to be almost nonexistent among African grey parrots. Does anyone have any other advice? I have also noticed that he started losing those feathers about the same time that I took up acrylic painting (fine art, not painting the house), however, I try not to keep him in the same area where I paint and I have three air purifiers running simultaneously. I am not sure if this is a coincidence or if the paint may be causing this feather loss. Please advise.

[dhorje]

Why not you stop painting for the time being and see how it goes? That would be the best way to know if it was the acrylic paint that caused the problem.

[judygram]

I am afraid I can be of no help to you but if the avian vet couldn't find anything wrong then I wouldn't believe the pet store owner's statement that is was scaly face mites, if your grey had this surely your vet would have picked up on it. But do ask your vet about the acrylic painting in conjunction with his missing feathers and see if there is any correlation, if anyone should know it would be your avian vet.

[danmcq]

Judy gave GreYt advice. A good Avian vet, if mites were suspected would simply scrape a little of that area and check it out under a microscope.

 

The other possibility is, does any toy exist that has a matching hole or slot size that your grey could be putting his beak through and rubbing that portion raw? My Grey has a foraging toy, that if he gets too aggressive at getting to the tasty morsels I place in there, will leave small vertical bald spots on each side of his nares. :-)

[Luvparrots]

My rescued Eclectus use to rub his beak against the bars of his cage. I have watched him do it at the pet shop. He is bald in that area. I try to watch him carefully and I haven't seem him do it in his new cage so I am hopeful the bald spot will go away. So I agree perhaps your grey is rubbing his face somewhere and wearing that area bald.