Feather Picking and Avian Self-Mutilation Syndromes in Budgies
The following is a small excerpt on this subject from my book "Caring for Birds with Love" that I suggest you buy now.
What do you mean by the terms “Feather Picking” and “Avian Self-Mutilation Syndromes”?
Feather picking and other avian self-mutilation syndromes are characterized by the budgie using its beak to damage its own feathers and /or skin and underlying tissues.
• "Feather Picking" is a general term that may imply feather stripping and shredding (where the feathers are split longitudinally), feather plucking (where the feathers are pulled out), feather barbering (where the feathers are bitten off short) or feather nibbling (where small pieces are bitten out of the feathers irregularly).
• Feathers and skin damaged as a result of Feather Picking have to be within reach of the beak that is below half -way down the budgie's neck.
Are feather picking and Avian Self-Mutilation Syndromes common in Birds?
Some species are particularly prone to feather picking: these include Gang Gang Cockatoos, Galahs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Eclectus Parrots and Rosellas. Avian Self-mutilation Syndrome is not very common in Budgies.
What can predispose or cause my bird to feather pick or bite its own skin?
Many very different factors can predispose and/or cause feather picking.
• In the individual affected budgie there is often more than one and sometimes many of these contributing to the behaviour
• The recognition and diagnosis of the causes of feather picking often is very challenging for bird vets and can necessitate involved and sometimes expensive investigation and testing. In addition budgies exhibiting feather picking often have concurrent diseases which need treating.
Some of the factors are noted below.
• Behavioural Problems linked with mismanagement and unfulfilled needs
• Budgies' emotional and physical needs are complex and similar to ours. Read the book "The Human Nature of Birds" by TX Barber (Free phone 008 060 555). If budgies feel insecure, threatened, frustrated, bored or unhappy, for example, some may begin feather picking
• Nutritional and dietary imbalances (deficiencies and excesses) both past and present
• Infections of the feathers and skin including Psittacine Circovirus (PBFD), Psittacine papovavirus, poxviruses, papillomavirus, Chlamydia psittaci, Bacterial infections (staphylococci, Mycobacteria), fungi, external parasites (mites, lice), internal parasites ("worms", Trichomonads)
• Genetic Factors
• Hormonal influences, imbalances or deficiencies
• Physical factors such as wing clipping, wounds, deformities
• Immune-mediated Conditions and “allergies”
• Poisons and Toxins including heavy metal poisons (lead zinc copper and mercury) and plant poisons
• Causes of skin and/or internal pain and discomfort such as feather cysts, tumours, abscesses, granulomas, localized infections, adhesions
• Metabolic and organ diseases especially those involving the liver and air sacs
• Syndromes of unknown aetiology such as Psittacine Pruritic Polyfolliculosis. This is the most common disease in my experience that is associated with Avian Self-mutilation Syndrome in budgies
How do you diagnose what’s causing my bird to feather pick or mutilate itself?
It has been said
"A diagnosis of psychologically induced self-mutilation should be reserved for patients in which no cause for the problem can be identified by physical examination, complete blood count, serum chemistries, feather pulp culture and cytology, skin lesion culture and cytology, radiographs, endoscopy and direct microscopic examination and biopsies of affected feathers. If no aetiology can be determined for the over-preening, then behavioral abnormalities should be considered."
My approach to diagnosing and helping birds that are feather picking starts with a consultation which includes a physical examination of the bird and a review of its management and diet, then inspection the remaining feathers as well as any feathers that have been removed or moulted.
I look for signs of feather dystrophy and deformity, inflammation or infection in feather follicles, lice and mites, and signs of underlying disease such as chlamydiosis or Psittacine Pruritic Pollyfolliculosis.
I often examine wet and Gram stained smears from the bird’s mouth or throat and its faeces and advise doing a test for Chlamydia psittaci and a faecal flotation test for intestinal parasites.
There is a range of other methods to help me evaluate what is wrong that I can use when I am working as a holistic vet rather than relying on traditional western medicine science
Order your copy of "Caring for Birds with Love and Gratitude" by Dr Ross Perry now
What do you mean by the terms “Feather Picking” and “Avian Self-Mutilation Syndromes”?
Feather picking and other avian self-mutilation syndromes are characterized by the budgie using its beak to damage its own feathers and /or skin and underlying tissues.
• "Feather Picking" is a general term that may imply feather stripping and shredding (where the feathers are split longitudinally), feather plucking (where the feathers are pulled out), feather barbering (where the feathers are bitten off short) or feather nibbling (where small pieces are bitten out of the feathers irregularly).
• Feathers and skin damaged as a result of Feather Picking have to be within reach of the beak that is below half -way down the budgie's neck.
Are feather picking and Avian Self-Mutilation Syndromes common in Birds?
Some species are particularly prone to feather picking: these include Gang Gang Cockatoos, Galahs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Eclectus Parrots and Rosellas. Avian Self-mutilation Syndrome is not very common in Budgies.
What can predispose or cause my bird to feather pick or bite its own skin?
Many very different factors can predispose and/or cause feather picking.
• In the individual affected budgie there is often more than one and sometimes many of these contributing to the behaviour
• The recognition and diagnosis of the causes of feather picking often is very challenging for bird vets and can necessitate involved and sometimes expensive investigation and testing. In addition budgies exhibiting feather picking often have concurrent diseases which need treating.
Some of the factors are noted below.
• Behavioural Problems linked with mismanagement and unfulfilled needs
• Budgies' emotional and physical needs are complex and similar to ours. Read the book "The Human Nature of Birds" by TX Barber (Free phone 008 060 555). If budgies feel insecure, threatened, frustrated, bored or unhappy, for example, some may begin feather picking
• Nutritional and dietary imbalances (deficiencies and excesses) both past and present
• Infections of the feathers and skin including Psittacine Circovirus (PBFD), Psittacine papovavirus, poxviruses, papillomavirus, Chlamydia psittaci, Bacterial infections (staphylococci, Mycobacteria), fungi, external parasites (mites, lice), internal parasites ("worms", Trichomonads)
• Genetic Factors
• Hormonal influences, imbalances or deficiencies
• Physical factors such as wing clipping, wounds, deformities
• Immune-mediated Conditions and “allergies”
• Poisons and Toxins including heavy metal poisons (lead zinc copper and mercury) and plant poisons
• Causes of skin and/or internal pain and discomfort such as feather cysts, tumours, abscesses, granulomas, localized infections, adhesions
• Metabolic and organ diseases especially those involving the liver and air sacs
• Syndromes of unknown aetiology such as Psittacine Pruritic Polyfolliculosis. This is the most common disease in my experience that is associated with Avian Self-mutilation Syndrome in budgies
How do you diagnose what’s causing my bird to feather pick or mutilate itself?
It has been said
"A diagnosis of psychologically induced self-mutilation should be reserved for patients in which no cause for the problem can be identified by physical examination, complete blood count, serum chemistries, feather pulp culture and cytology, skin lesion culture and cytology, radiographs, endoscopy and direct microscopic examination and biopsies of affected feathers. If no aetiology can be determined for the over-preening, then behavioral abnormalities should be considered."
My approach to diagnosing and helping birds that are feather picking starts with a consultation which includes a physical examination of the bird and a review of its management and diet, then inspection the remaining feathers as well as any feathers that have been removed or moulted.
I look for signs of feather dystrophy and deformity, inflammation or infection in feather follicles, lice and mites, and signs of underlying disease such as chlamydiosis or Psittacine Pruritic Pollyfolliculosis.
I often examine wet and Gram stained smears from the bird’s mouth or throat and its faeces and advise doing a test for Chlamydia psittaci and a faecal flotation test for intestinal parasites.
There is a range of other methods to help me evaluate what is wrong that I can use when I am working as a holistic vet rather than relying on traditional western medicine science
Order your copy of "Caring for Birds with Love and Gratitude" by Dr Ross Perry now
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