I noticed a week ago that there was blood at the bottom of the cage and on his wing. I assumed he had a night scare. But recently his wing has deteriorated, and I am wondering if he is diseased. I'm not very knowledgeable about cockatiels, and would be very grateful for any information. Here are the pictures:
http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Legato_Love/?action=view¤t=PICT0269.jpg
http://s5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/Legato_Love/?action=view¤t=PICT0270.jpg
2007-07-19 11:41:39 · 11 answers · asked by zaichev 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
About the blood feathers: When I woke up that morning and found blood, I also found those missing feathers at the bottoms of the cage. He either pulled them out or, in a scare, broke them.
2007-07-19 11:56:31 · update #1
same thing happened to my bird. its fine now. he just scraped his wing on a toy.
2007-07-19 11:45:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dont listen to the plucking stuff... This is a typical cockatiel after a night fright. Those long tubes of blood you see at the tip of its wing are its flight feathers growing in. What happened was... he probably knocked out all of those feathers, and now they're growing in all at once! Nothing to worry about! Give him a bath using a warm mist of water. That'll make him look a little less diseased :-D. Just keep a nightlight on for him so he doesnt have another night fright. If he breaks a bloodfeather (those tubes you see) you may have a problem.
2007-07-19 21:56:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They look like new (blood) feathers to me.
I would suggest the following:
1. Always check him out when he has night terrors to make sure that none of the blood feathers have broken.
2. Have the number and directions of an emergency animal hospital handy if the blood feathers are ever profusely bleeding.
3. If night terrors are a regular occurence, don't cover his cage anymore, and give him a night light. They can't see very well in the dark, and freak out if anything disturbs them.
4. Take him to an avian vet just to make sure everything is okay. You can never be too careful.
2007-07-20 10:29:53 · answer #3 · answered by sailorjupiter112 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First put styptic powder on the feathers that are bleeding. He may still be bleeding and can die from it. It really just looks like he pulled out or broke his new feathers just after he molted (that would be the reason for no other feathers present). Give him a night light to keep him from having scares, and if he breaks any more of them, get him a plucking toy! I make mine out of old feathers (to preen) and those hard ends of shoelaces because, to a bird, it feels just like a pin feather so they'll obsess over that instead of picking at their own pin feathers.
Something else, you may want to have him checked out at the vet. It may just be the picture, but usually when cockatiels have such dark cheek spots, it is a sign of liver problems.
Good luck with him!
2007-07-19 20:48:52 · answer #4 · answered by Cliffieduckie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Mumbles, those are just feathers coming in and they are in the blood feather stage. They look perfectly normal to me. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I've had cockatiels for years including a lutino like yours. They are even more prone to night frights then normals due to the lack of melanin in their eyes which results in poor eyesight.
I always leave a nightlight on for mine for this reason. Usually when feathers are in their "blood feather" stage there are other feathers around them that protect them. Those are very exposed so you will have to be very careful that she does not re-injure that area in a fall or fright or she could have heavy bleeding.
2007-07-19 19:55:47 · answer #5 · answered by Thea 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi - it looks like part of his wing is gone. Is this possible? And the wingclip looks very severe.
You could learn more about your bird by joining a cockatiel list or reading BirdTalk magazine.
Who trims his flight feathers?? This may have been a blood feather that was cut.
I wish you luck.....
2007-07-19 18:47:43 · answer #6 · answered by Owlwoman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those are all blood feathers coming in. On white cockatiels they tend to break easier that on normal grays. How old is he? Another question is why are you using a glove to hold him? That may be scaring him more. Cockatiels are prown to night frights. You can help by putting a night light in the room for him.
2007-07-19 19:34:40 · answer #7 · answered by Mumbles 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To me it looks like someone cut the feathers to short. You may want to have a vet check out the bird.
2007-07-19 18:54:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it looks almost like pin feathers, which are just new feathers growing in
it could be hes pucking them from depression or another mental illness
or he could have just scraped it off at toy as the other person said
2007-07-19 18:48:43 · answer #9 · answered by alyssa l 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Take it to a vet that specializes in birds if you want it to survive.
2007-07-19 18:49:26 · answer #10 · answered by Kansas Z 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋