Introduction
Feather picking is a self-mutilation problem in birds. It has many different causes
which range from disease to emotional problems.
Causes
There are a wide range of causes which vary with the species of the bird that is
affected. Some of the causes are:
- Giardia (an intestinal parasite)
- Parasites (external, e.g. lice)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Boredom
- Allergies
- Infections
- Pain
- Emotional problems
Signs
Signs are usually obvious. Patches of skin show from missing feathers, and feathers
covering the cage bottom. Areas where most feathers are lost are the contour (front)
breast feathers, thighs, wings, and flanks. The down and pin feathers are also picked. The
skin is usually normal, and most birds are not itchy with this disease. They can however,
become extremely bald from the amount of lost feathers.
Prevention
Much prevention of this disease can be accomplished through the treatment itself. For
example, psychological prevention is done by diagnosing a problem which is often
environmental. Most feather picking occurs in diseased birds and will stop once the
disease is treated.
Treatment ("Tweetment")
Treatment is as varied as the causes. For infections and parasites the use of drugs
work best. Nutritional deficiencies and allergies are treated by such steps as; improving
diet by nutritional enhancement, removal of cigarette smoke, and more exposure to sunlight
and fresh air. If none of these treatments or therapies are working after two months, then
the use of mood-altering drugs may be established.
For emotionally stressed birds, the cause of the disease is usually environmental.
Treatment for these birds will involve diagnosing the problem through the owner, and
striving to correct or resolve the problem. This is often done by simply improving the
human-animal bond. This can be done by more quality time spent with the bird, talking to
it, petting it, and even training it to do tricks, or just to be a well mannered bird.
Introduction
Chlamydiosis is a zoonotic disease also known as "Parrot Fever". Humans can
be infected with the disease by companion birds such as parrots, parakeets, cockatiels,
and macaws.
Causes
Chlamydia psittaci is an intracellular parasite that causes the disease
Chlamydiosis. The incubation period of Chlamydia psittaci varies in caged birds. It
may take as long as several weeks or as short as three days. The nasal discharge and
droppings of infected birds are how the organism is excreted and transmitted.
Signs
Infected birds may exhibit many different signs, or they may show no signs at all. Some
signs may be anorexia, nasal discharge, diarrhea, and they may have a ruffled feather
appearance. Some infected birds may suddenly die. Others may have the disease for an
extended period before death occurs.
Diagnosis
A definitive diagnosis can be hard to obtain, but can be determined by stained
impression smears of infected tissue. This is the most accurate and definitive method of
diagnosis. Although there are many different tests, they are not all definitive because of
false positive and negative results.
Treatment
All of having Chlamydiosis should be isolated and treated whether the disease is
confirmed to be present, or just thought to be. Treatment for birds should last for at
least 45 days. The antibiotic doxycycline is the treatment of choice in the oral form, and
can also be used in an injectable form.
Prevention
Proper sanitation is the number one method of control. Other methods of control include
not purchasing birds with signs of Chlamydiosis, quarantine new birds for a three to four
week period, and never stacking cages on top of one another for fear of infectious
materials falling from one cage into another. Blood testing of birds can also be helpful
in some cases.
Introduction
Yersiniosis is a zoonotic disease found worldwide. Animals susceptible to Yersinia
are toucans, toucanets, aracaris, finches, ducks, robins, canaries, and pigeons. Humans
may also be vulnerable to this disease; however, infections are rare.
Cause
The two organisms that cause Yersiniosis are Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia
enterocolitica. Infected birds and rodents transmit this bacterial organism, Yersinia,
through fecal and urine contamination of food and water.
Signs
Clinical signs include dehydration, inactivity, listlessness, diarrhea, difficulty
breathing, anorexia, and weight loss. There are two typical scenarios or categories which
infected birds will fall into:
- Infected birds may experience a very rapid and acute onset where sudden death may occur.
- Infected birds may experience a slower onset where the clinical signs may take weeks to
occur. In this case, the disease may or may not resolve for weeks, months, or years.
Diagnosis
A definitive diagnosis requires isolating the organism from the infected tissue and
culturing the organism.
Treatment
In birds with acute and rapid disease onset, death is common before therapy can be
instigated. If the infected birds are affected more slowly, treatment includes injectable
antibiotics. The prognosis (outcome for these animals) is good if the disease is caught
early.
Prevention
Several vaccines have proven to be ineffective at this time. In light of this,
controlling the spread of this disease involves good sanitation procedures, such as
preventing contamination of feed and water supplies from animal and human feces.
For more information see: http://www.mednexus.com/nhms/yersinia.html
1 By Beth Hewett, Anu Murthy, and Rita Simmons, Blue Ridge Community
College Veterinary Technology Program Class of 1998
