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Sohie update
Jun. 14th, 2007 04:55 pmWent to the vet. Sophia loves everyone, of course. She jumped from person to person as if to say, "And I like YOU! And I like YOU! And I like YOU!" Then they toweled her and she didn't like anyone anymore. ;)
It sounds like hormones might be her problem. I listed every parrot-mommy sin I've ever committed. ("And once, she got into the soil in the bougainvillea planter... ok it was three times...") The big parrot-mommy sin seems to be tablefood. She's on pellets, but she pretty much eats whatever I'm eating as well. The vet said that when they have access to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar, mother nature kicks in to say, "Lots of food! Time to breed!"
I asked the vet to go ahead and test for zinc poisoning--she didn't have any of the symptoms, but I'm going to be nervous until I know it's not that. That's another parrot-mommy sin: chains holding her toys. I'm damned, I know it. *sigh*
Sophie's doing better today, in general. I switched her food from color pellets to the organic Zupreem, and she hasn't even batted an eye. I also threw out all the odds and ends that cause her to feel upset (she hates driftwood and the birdfeeder on the patio). Someone suggested cockatoo phobias, and I read last night that insecurity can cause plucking. I'd left them out so she'd get used to them--and she's still petrified after two months. That could definitely be one of the problems. She hasn't been hyper-preening today (day four of daily showers/no sunflower seeds), so that's good.
In a proud parrot-mommy moment, the vet was pleased and impressed I'd brought Soph in. "Plucking?! Where? She has so many feathers!" I showed her the six scabbed feathers and the patches on her legs. She said, "It's so good you brought her. There's a good chance that you can beat it if it's caught early." Oooh! Who's a responsible parrot mommy?? :D
The vet suggested separating Soph and Ath a bit--the sharing the yellow pellets yesterday might have been indicative of hormones. Poor Athie! She follows Soph everywhere...
Anyway, that's my update.
It sounds like hormones might be her problem. I listed every parrot-mommy sin I've ever committed. ("And once, she got into the soil in the bougainvillea planter... ok it was three times...") The big parrot-mommy sin seems to be tablefood. She's on pellets, but she pretty much eats whatever I'm eating as well. The vet said that when they have access to foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar, mother nature kicks in to say, "Lots of food! Time to breed!"
I asked the vet to go ahead and test for zinc poisoning--she didn't have any of the symptoms, but I'm going to be nervous until I know it's not that. That's another parrot-mommy sin: chains holding her toys. I'm damned, I know it. *sigh*
Sophie's doing better today, in general. I switched her food from color pellets to the organic Zupreem, and she hasn't even batted an eye. I also threw out all the odds and ends that cause her to feel upset (she hates driftwood and the birdfeeder on the patio). Someone suggested cockatoo phobias, and I read last night that insecurity can cause plucking. I'd left them out so she'd get used to them--and she's still petrified after two months. That could definitely be one of the problems. She hasn't been hyper-preening today (day four of daily showers/no sunflower seeds), so that's good.
In a proud parrot-mommy moment, the vet was pleased and impressed I'd brought Soph in. "Plucking?! Where? She has so many feathers!" I showed her the six scabbed feathers and the patches on her legs. She said, "It's so good you brought her. There's a good chance that you can beat it if it's caught early." Oooh! Who's a responsible parrot mommy?? :D
The vet suggested separating Soph and Ath a bit--the sharing the yellow pellets yesterday might have been indicative of hormones. Poor Athie! She follows Soph everywhere...
Anyway, that's my update.
