4 years ago 3 years ago

Parakeet health

by Amanda 4 years ago3 years ago

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Parakeet health: Chilly? This is normal, you are ill. Remember to pamper yourself during your convalescence and especially stay warm.

Good room heat helps you maintain your normal body temperature more easily, and your recovery will be easier and faster.

Normally a good part of your metabolic energy is used to keep your body temperature at its optimum level, which is 42 degrees Celsius.

It’s still quite high if we compare it to our cold human friends who are at 37.5! When you are bothered by illness, your body ( which is very logical ) prefers to direct its energy to processes involved in healing rather than using it to keep its body temperature stable. To do this, the patient must be kept in a warm environment.

As Florida is not for everyone, it is possible to recreate a warm and comfortable atmosphere at home. This detail is an integral part of the small treatments recommended for any convalescence.

Parakeet health

There are several options available to you when the chills tickle you. Know how to choose them. The incubator remains the best choice, given its controlled atmosphere. But this luxury is not within everyone’s reach. Alternative choices are available:

Heating mat: By placing it under the cage, it radiates heat that warms the atmosphere a little. To avoid losing too much of this precious heat, partially cover the cage with a terry towel.
Warmed Room in the House: Your human friend can also make you sit in a room in the house or even their own bedroom. He will have taken care to raise the temperature to a comfortable level for you. You will like it, but Madam Human will perhaps go to sleep on the sofa in the living room, especially if she is in the middle of menopause …
Bulb: It produces interesting heat when placed near the cage. It should be turned off at night, as it is very inconvenient to sleep in bright light. Beware of the risk of burns.
Infrared lamp: It also emits heat with the advantage of producing a red light that is not too disturbing, even at night. It should be placed at a safe distance from the cage.

Contents hide

1 Parakeet and lamps

1.1 Practical advice for users of infrared bulbs or lamps

2 Parakeet without feathers

3 Why is my parakeet losing its feathers? Non-pathological causes

3.1 Molting and feather loss

3.2 Feather loss and pecking

4 Why is my parakeet losing its feathers? Pathological causes

4.1 Is your parakeet losing its feathers? What if it was dermatitis…

4.2 PBFD feather loss

Parakeet and lamps

A few words about light bulbs and infrared lamps

Health of parrot

Parakeet health

When misused, these heat sources can be responsible for serious and sometimes fatal complications. In the United Kingdom, an infrared lamp used to convalesce an African Gray ( he had contracted an infection with the bacteria Salmonella) softer was actually responsible for her death.

The 150 W intensity lamp had been suspended 30 cm above the cage which measured 45cmX45cmcmX80cm. After a few days of rest in this cage, there appeared on the top of the bird’s head a red and inflamed area from which the feathers fell easily.

It was a burn caused by the too intense heat of the lamp. By correcting the cause, the patient recovered from his burn and infection. He went back to his occupations, that is to say, to make beautiful babies with his sweetheart.

Several weeks later, the bird emerged from its nest showing very disturbing symptoms: unable to fly, loss of balance, and head held low. A 3 x 2 cm mass was visible on his head.

Upon admission to the hospital, the patient was anesthetized ( isoflurane ) to allow examination of his mass. Underneath the crusted protuberance was a gaping hole about 2 cm in diameter that allowed the brain to be easily seen.

At this time, the patient died. Analysis of the mass confirmed that it was malignant cancer ( carcinoma ) which had invaded the bone of the skull and then spread inside the skull. The old burn had therefore been the trigger for this tumor.

Practical advice for users of infrared bulbs or lamps

Health of parrot

Parakeet health

1- Place the lamp at a safe distance from the cage. Frequently check the intensity of the heat emitted.

2- Do not install the lamp above and in the middle of the cage. It is preferable that it is oriented on one side. In this way, a temperature gradient is created and the patient can choose his own comfort zone.

Parakeet without feathers

Is your parakeet losing its feathers? Birds often shed their feathers naturally every six months or so. This allows them to renew their plumage and this is completely normal.

That said, health issues are not entirely ruled out. Certain volatile diseases can indeed cause the loss of feathers in parakeets. So, even if it looks like a molt, first make sure your bird is okay.

Why did my parakeet lose its tail feathers? Find out all the possible reasons why your parakeet is losing its feathers.

Why is my parakeet losing its feathers? Non-pathological causes

If your bird is not sick and if the veterinarian has not diagnosed any health problem that could explain the loss of feathers, it can have two reasons: molting and feather pecking.

Molting and feather loss

Molting is the most probable cause that can explain a loss of feathers in the parakeet. As is the case with all birds indeed, their feathers are not eternal. In order for them to fulfill their role correctly, they must be replaced at least twice a year. This is the purpose of the molt.

Molting is a natural phenomenon by which the bird loses its old feathers, and replaces them with new ones that were already waiting in their feathery follicle.

In the parakeet, it usually occurs every six months and can last up to two months. It is a rather difficult period because it does not come without pain. But if the bird is healthy and does not suffer from any deficiency, it can be done more quickly, that is, within six weeks.

You will easily recognize the molt by the presence of a small black-tipped tube on the head of your parakeet.

Feather loss and pecking

Your parakeet may also lose its feathers due to feather pecking. What is that? It is a behavioral disorder of the bird resulting in a tendency to pluck feathers. If he pulls the feathers of others, we speak of allspice. If he plucks his own feathers, we speak of self-pecking.

Either way, if you have multiple parakeets in a single cage and you notice some losing their feathers, make sure one of them isn’t suffering from feather pecking. In this case, it is necessary to intervene quickly because once the parakeet adopts this mania, it is very difficult to undo it.

Note that feather pecking can have several causes: nutritional deficiency, depression, stress due to a recent change (move, change of cage), etc.

Why is my parakeet losing its feathers? Pathological causes

If your parakeet is losing its feathers, it is also possible that it is sick. Several diseases can manifest or lead to the loss of feathers in this type of bird: dermatitis, PBFD, feather hemorrhages are the most likely causes.

Is your parakeet losing its feathers? What if it was dermatitis…

Dermatitis is a fairly common skin disease in parakeets. Caused by a still unknown virus, it is manifested by severe itching due to inflammation of the follicles.

The loss of feathers is thus the consequence of frequent and violent scratching by the bird. It mainly concerns the rump and the area at the bottom of the wings.

Dermatitis can be diagnosed by a veterinarian who can – depending on the severity of the symptoms – offer the appropriate treatment.

PBFD feather loss

PBFD or Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, better known in French as “ Feather and beak disease syndrome is a viral disease known to cause feather loss in parakeets.

Caused by a virus belonging to the Circovirus family, it often manifests itself during molting by abnormal regrowth of feathers and beak, and by the gradual disappearance of plumage.

PBFD is a serious disease that, by causing immunosuppression in the bird, will lead to the appearance of other diseases in its wake: bacterial infections, diarrhea, respiratory disorders, etc. Unfortunately incurable, it leads inexorably to the death of the bird.