Post by birdguhl on Jul 22, 2020 14:55:56 GMT
With Charlie being 14 years old I am constantly on the lookout for any worrying signs.
Within the last four weeks or so he has being been having a big moult including his tails feathers. For a few days I kept thinking that the second tail feather must be hanging on by a thread as it was very wobbly, but then I realised it had actually broken about 1/3 of the way down the shaft. After a few days I found the remaining 2/3 on the floor, I didn't find the other part so assumed it was still attached to Charlie but it could have moulted out itself and fallen under furniture.I also assumed the broken shaft had occurred during one of Charlie's unplanned trips to the floor as he is now not able to fly. (As well as cushions on the floor, I have all three cages and other perching points linked up with bendy perches so that he can get about and he manages very well.) I have been around a lot recently and I would say falls are not an everyday occurrence, maybe two or three a week.
Two days ago I noticed some blood on Charlie's remaining tail-area feathers (?coverts) which have become quite untidily splayed out recently. The blood was only a tiny bit and he seemed fine. Today I found a couple of drops of blood on one of the cages, and I put 2 and 2 together and surmised that he had fallen onto the open horizontal door of one of the cages from one of the perches above and that's how he had had a wee bleed. Again it was only two tiny drops.
However during the clean today, Charlie ended up on the floor. When I picked him up as his usual climb up route was half dismantled I felt a distinct rough lump under his tail feathers. I didn't want to handle him too much but I got a few pics. There was a tiny bit of fresh blood I assume from this trip to the floor just now, but it mostly looked likes a big scab. Poor Charlie. I wonder if the broken feather is in there and it has been getting bashed and moved around when he takes a tumble.
Or is it something more sinister? The fact that his feathers have been splaying out maybe because something nasty is growing there.
He is bright enough generally, eating well and very interactive with Tony. But he does have mores sleeps these days which I put down to his age and his adorable but rather enthusiastic and exhausting young companion.
closest open gas station to me
Within the last four weeks or so he has being been having a big moult including his tails feathers. For a few days I kept thinking that the second tail feather must be hanging on by a thread as it was very wobbly, but then I realised it had actually broken about 1/3 of the way down the shaft. After a few days I found the remaining 2/3 on the floor, I didn't find the other part so assumed it was still attached to Charlie but it could have moulted out itself and fallen under furniture.I also assumed the broken shaft had occurred during one of Charlie's unplanned trips to the floor as he is now not able to fly. (As well as cushions on the floor, I have all three cages and other perching points linked up with bendy perches so that he can get about and he manages very well.) I have been around a lot recently and I would say falls are not an everyday occurrence, maybe two or three a week.
Two days ago I noticed some blood on Charlie's remaining tail-area feathers (?coverts) which have become quite untidily splayed out recently. The blood was only a tiny bit and he seemed fine. Today I found a couple of drops of blood on one of the cages, and I put 2 and 2 together and surmised that he had fallen onto the open horizontal door of one of the cages from one of the perches above and that's how he had had a wee bleed. Again it was only two tiny drops.
However during the clean today, Charlie ended up on the floor. When I picked him up as his usual climb up route was half dismantled I felt a distinct rough lump under his tail feathers. I didn't want to handle him too much but I got a few pics. There was a tiny bit of fresh blood I assume from this trip to the floor just now, but it mostly looked likes a big scab. Poor Charlie. I wonder if the broken feather is in there and it has been getting bashed and moved around when he takes a tumble.
Or is it something more sinister? The fact that his feathers have been splaying out maybe because something nasty is growing there.
He is bright enough generally, eating well and very interactive with Tony. But he does have mores sleeps these days which I put down to his age and his adorable but rather enthusiastic and exhausting young companion.
closest open gas station to me