Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Medical Causes of Feather Damaging Behavior.
- Journal:
- The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Langlois, Isabelle
- Affiliation:
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vé · Canada
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
Feather damaging behavior, which includes actions like feather picking or plucking, is a common issue seen in pet birds, especially parrots. This behavior can be caused by various medical problems, including skin diseases or other health issues that affect the whole body. The article reviews how to identify these underlying medical conditions and discusses different treatment options that can help manage the behavior when it stems from medical causes. Understanding these factors can be crucial for helping your bird feel better and stop damaging its feathers.
Abstract
Feather damaging behavior (FDB), also referred to as feather picking, feather plucking, or pterotillomania, is one of the most common and frustrating clinical presentations in captive psittacines. The clinical approach to identify underlying medical conditions associated with FDB is reviewed. Primary feather or skin diseases as well as systemic diseases may lead to this syndrome. This article focuses on the medical causes of FDB documented in the current avian literature. Medical causes are presented using the VITAMIN D algorithm. Key components of the multifaceted therapeutic approach in managing FDB of medical origin are discussed.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33189247/