Feather Problems in Pet Birds

Feather problems in pet birds are self-mutilation of feathers, gang-gang syndrome, stress dermatitis, superficial mycoses, etc.

Feather problems in pet birds are:

• Self-mutilation of Feathers
• Gang-gang Syndrome
• Stress Dermatitis
• Superficial Mycoses

Self-mutilation of Feathers

Self-mutilation of feathers is a common problem in some cage and aviary birds. Especially psittacines.

Skin irritation and disturbance may cause self-mutilation and plucking of feathers include boredom, dietary deficiency, psychosis, bacteria, viruses fungi, parasites, lack of sleep due to household lights being left on, and contract with strangers, dogs, cats.

The etiology of disease may be revealed by a full discussion of the bird‘s history, environment, and cage size, its social interaction with the family, evidence of displaced behaviour or activity and any change in life of the bird coinciding with the onset of feather problem.

Chewing and self-mutilation of feathers must be distinguished from normal grooming and feather sheath removal from growing feathers.

Chewed feathers show the ramus of the feather split longitudinally in an irregular ragged fashion. Mutilated feathers are confined to areas where a bird can chew (flight and contour feathers).

Birds with psychologically caused self-mutilation of feathers exhibit the absence of any deformed, discolored or mutilated feathers on the head and the absence of beak deformity, mites, or lice.

When keeping immature canaries of about 1 month of age sometimes peck on another.

Therapy includes separation of offending birds, wound treatment, blood removal and debeaking.

Gang-gang Syndrome

Gang-gang cockatoos are often feather pluckers in captivity when not provided with a constant fresh supply of foliage such as large Casuarinas branches laden with nuts, together with fruit and vegetables, as well as the normal seed mixture.

Feather picking in unpaired birds during the breeding season or when a mate is taken away or dies are example of frustration-induced disease.

Stress Dermatitis

Stress dermatitis condition is an ulcerative dermatitis caused by self-mutilation, occurs chiefly in lovebirds.

The shoulder region and the patagial membrane are usually affected in birds of any age or sex. Less commonly the inguinal region, the chest or back is affected.

The lovebird is a colony bird, often very spiteful and bullying and therefore probably more prone to psychological insult.

The pet cockatoo and Budgerigar can also frequently be exposed to stressful living conditions.

Secondary bacterial infection with Staphylococcus spp are often isolated.

Treatment includes a mixture of 1.5 ml Lincomycin 100 mg/ml injection with 0.45 ml dexamethasone 2mg/ml injection and 0.05 ml DMSO used alone or in equal combination with vitamin A and Vitamin E creams as a topical application.

Superficial Mycoses

There are over 20 species of fungi belonging to the dermatophytes capable of causing ringworm in birds by invading the keratinized layer of the skin and feathers.

Clinical signs

Lesions are usually limited to the fleshy or thin skinned areas of the head and appear as scabs, crusts or alopecic area.

If the lesions are limited to the skin, there may be marked hypertrophy of the epidermis, producing crust like excretions around the feather follicle similar to those caused by Canidid albicans. Favus is also known as the honeycomb fungus because of the rough, porous appearance of the scales it produced on affected skin.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis mainly based on clinical signs. Direct examination of skin scraping mounted by using 10-20% potassium hydroxide solution.

The presence of septate hyphal fragments confirms the diagnosis.

Treatment and control

The Superficial Mycoses is transmissible from bird to bird and in some cases bird to man. Affected bird should be isolated to minimize disease spread. Treatment of birds may prove ineffective.

The oral administration of griseofulvin at 125 mg/kg body weight for 3-5 days is suggested, and simultaneously the older remedies may be tried such as iodine, carbolic acid, mercuric chloride, formalin and phenyl mercuric nitrate in form of ointment and lotion.

Fungal infection on the feet can be treated twice a day with mycostatin or tinactin cream.

Old litter and nests are a god source of fungal infection in birds. Infected aviaries should be scrubbed with hot soda, detergent solution.