ASK THE VET

Q: Boofie, a nine-month-old African grey parrot, has been biting his feathers out since I had a holiday three weeks ago. Feathers are gone from his tail and one wing gone. How can we stop this?

Deborah Henderson, Whitley Bay A: Feather-plucking seems to be a disease of captivity as it is very rarely seen in the wild bird. It is usually caused by an environmental problem such as:

■■Diet – imbalances of protein, fat and other nutrients through internal organ damage or lack of essential nutrients within the skin;

■■Stress, frustration or boredom;

■■Poor socialisation;

■■Smoky or fatty atmosphere – deposits on the feathers can cause irritation;

■■Overstimulation in some cases African grey parrots are extremely intelligent birds. The stress of being confined to a small environment can suppress their immune system. This can make them more susceptible to diseases that can produce skin irritations. Specific infections of the skin or feathers relating to bacteria, fungi viruses or mites can also lead to plucking.

There are so many psychological, clinical and environmental causes that the best chance of getting a quick resolution to this would be by visiting a veterinary specialist in exotic animal medicine or an advanced practitioner in zoological medicine. Unfortunately these vets are few and far between. However, there are some vets that have got good experience with birds and are likely to be able to provide some basic advice and tests.

They will be able to ask the relevant questions about how Boofie is being kept and carry out a thorough clinical examination. From there, changes to Boofie’s environment can be suggested or there may be other treatments or investigations that will need to be conducted in order to treat the specific cause.