Parakeet mites and feather loss

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Parakeet mites and feather loss

I have a male parakeet that when taken to a vet, said that my bird had mites and had picked at himself so much that he had an open wound. The vet put a dark blue/purple kind of medicine on the open wound and now he is loosing the flying feathers in that wing and the wound has not healed up yet. Please advise me on what to do. Thank you.

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Parakeet mites and feather loss

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Oct 01, 2010

Mites and feather loss
by: The Avian Vet

Mites are common in budgies, but rarely causes feather damaging behaviors or self mutilation, but does occur. Topical treatments are never effective and I am not familiar with blue stuff you spray on a bird, but I would NEVER use anything like that. Your bird needs wound management and appropriate treatment for mites, if he has mites, otherwise someone needs to diagnose the problem and treat it correctly. I recommend getting a second opinion from a specialist.

Dr B

Sep 28, 2010

Parakeet mites and feather loss
by: Linda

Unless you took him to an Avian Vet, you have done him more harm than good. Always take birds to Avian Vets because regular dog and cat vets are not licensed and trained in the diagnosis and treatment of birds and will either do nothing and charge you for it or kill the bird and charge you MORE for it.

If he still has mites, then he still has a problem, and they can be keeping the wound from healing. My suggestion is to take him immediately to an Avian Vet in your driving area to have him diagnosed and treated properly as the mites will literally eat him alive. They start with the feather follicles and once feathers are gone, then they eat the flesh, so your problem is not a minor one. DO NOT USE ANY OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES FOR MITES ON HIM INCLUDING ANYTHING FROM A PET STORE. Just because a store sells that toxic mess does mean it's good for birds. They sell many kinds of over the counter meds, most of which, can kill your bird. An Avian Vet is the only source of diagnosis and treatment for all birds.

Let us know what the vet has to say, and you need to move quickly on this because you may not be dealing with mites at all since the other bird does not seem to have them. Mites are predators who will take any and all birds in an area. So, you may be dealing with something else that needs to be looked into.

Linda

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