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jan-marie
Egg
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Broome |
| Scratching |
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Hi,
Iam a new owner to an Alexandrian Parrot and he is now 11months old.
He is scratching quite alot and I am wondering if it is lice or how do you know what it could be. Can anybody advice me
Thank you
Jan-marie |
Monday January 9, 2006 8:28 am |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
I don't know anything at all about lice, or any other kind of living things on birds, I often wondered myself if you can actually see such things.
Do you shower the bird regularly? They do need regular bathing or showering. Some people have said they add a tadbit of pure aloe, or glycerin to the water in a spray bottle of water to shower them with. Molting can cause them to scratch a lot & regular showering can help soften the shafts of new feathers. |
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Monday January 9, 2006 12:49 pm |
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Cathy
Kamikaze pilot
Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 6673
Location: Omaha, NE USA |
 Excuse my manners
Welcome to the forum! I really hope to hear more about your Alexandrine & see some pics  |
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Monday January 9, 2006 12:51 pm |
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Chaquita's Mom
Experienced flier
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 1028
Location: Pennsylvania, USA |
Welcome jan! The only thing I can think of is the bathing regularly. Sometimes wet to the skin. Their downy feathers are tough to get soaked. Also, is the weather cold there where you're from? It could be due to the lack of moisture in the air too. Dry air leads to dry itchy skin. Also, as Cathy said, molting causes itchiness. I'm not sure the age that a parrot has it's first molt. Has he been dropping a lot of feathers lately? When all of these are ruled out, avian vets or pet stores usually sell a mite and lice killer spray for your fids. |
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Monday January 9, 2006 1:40 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7967
Location: Australia |
Hi Jan,
Welcome to the forum. Are you in Broome Western Australia? If so, Are you affected by Cyclone Clare at all? Just wondering. I hope it's not affecting you guys too much up your way.
Sorry to go off track... as with the scratching... It should be fairly humid now where you're at (assuming you are in WA Broome). It could be due to the fact that your new baby is having it's first molt. Just a quick question, when you say scratching alot, to what extent is your Alex scratching? I mean is it constantly scratching like something is biting it? Do it do a 'jumpy' kind of scratch, you know how a human would react and scratch say when an ant sting you or something...you know that quick kinda movement My cockatoo scratch quite a bit as well, but Iknow that he's molting currently.
Oh and also how long have you had him for? and has it been scratching since when you first got him? or have you just noticed the scratching? |
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Monday January 9, 2006 3:05 pm |
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shirin
Moderator
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 7401
Location: Canada, Toronto |
Hi welcome here,
Is he scratching with his foot, or his beak? |
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Monday January 9, 2006 3:28 pm |
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jan-marie
Egg
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Broome |
Thank you for all your replies. My Alexandrian parrot is approx 11months old
Broome is in Western Australia, weather wise it is our wet season now (30 - 38oC, 90% humidity)
He is scratching with is claws and beak, especially scratching his head.
He bathes nearly everyday and he showers about once a week.
He loves his food, seeds, nuts and fruit, his favourite passionfruit.
We won't know until between 18months and 3 years if its a he or a she.
As Iam typing this 'Wally' is nibbling his feathers and scratching.
What do you all think?
Thanks again
Jan-marie |
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Tuesday January 10, 2006 6:30 am |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7967
Location: Australia |
hmmm can't say I can really tell if it's a lice problem. Can you lift up his feathers and have a look underneath? Sometimes you might be able to see things moving around, but I've never had that with birds, so I can't tell you how a bird would react to lice.
has he just started scratching a lot lately? or has it been an on going thing for a while? Has you noticed any feathers at the bottome of the cage or on the floor? It could be that he's molting at the moment, and all the new feathers are coming through. Is he fussing with his feathers a lot? Or is he preening? My boy preens quite a lot when he's not chewing or biting me that is!! LOL... |
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Tuesday January 10, 2006 2:46 pm |
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Vis_Vitalis
Flutterer
Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 164
Location: Greece |
Scratching with the beak doesn't count I guess because it's not scratching, it's preening.
I've heard of some kind of infection on budgies that causes scratching and I've heard you have to spray the corners of the cage with a medicine. I think it occurs once a year... |
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Wednesday January 11, 2006 3:07 pm |
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Greg Sujecki
Experienced flier
Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 1650
Location: Australia,Melbourne |
hi and welcome jan-marie  Sounds to me there is only one thing and that your Alex is only prunning him/her self it's quiet normal Mylo is alway's prunning himself when ever he is sitting around for a quiet moment .As long as your Alex isn't plucking feathers then ouching l wouldn't worry in my opinion.You will also find if Wally is prunning that his feathers are raised to a certain extent and always prunning mainly around the wing and upper chest area..let us know how he/she is going,  |
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Friday January 13, 2006 11:08 am |
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