There are several common bird feather and skin diseases. Taking good care of your bird’s feathers and skin is important, and taking your bird to an avian vet to have any potential problems properly diagnosed is critical to his health. A few common bird feather and skin diseases include infestation from external parasites, beak and feather disease, and ulcerative dermatitis. Common types of external bird parasites are different species of mites. These can include red or gray mites, and cere or knemidocoptic mites. Red and gray mites feed on the skin of the bird, and are usually most active at night. This means that night time is when you are most likely to see behaviors like excessive scratching. During the day, however, you may see the results of that nighttime scratching. These signs can include bare patches or areas of inflamed skin. Cere and knemidocoptic mites affect budgies more often than other birds, and burrow into the fleshy past above the bird’s beak (the cere). Signs of infestation by cere mites include small lesions that resemble warts, usually around the beak area. Other affected areas can include the eyelids, legs, feet, and other areas of the face and beak. Bird beak and feather disease is caused by a viral infection that damages or kills the cells of the bird’s beak and feathers. The virus that causes beak and feather disease can also seriously damage the bird’s immune system, making him susceptible to other serious infections. Although bird beak and feather disease was first found among cockatoos, it is known to affect pet birds of many other species as well, often at a young age. Symptoms of bird beak and feather disease may develop very suddenly, especially in the case of young birds, or they may have a more gradual onset. Young birds usually develop an acute form of bird beak and feather disease, in which the developing feathers bleed, fracture, or fall out. Older birds tend to display a much slower progression of symptoms, which is considered a more chronic form of bird beak and feather disease. In older birds, new feathers are affected as soon as they emerge from the follicle. These damaged feathers are referred to as being dystrophic, and may be very short, have blood in the shafts, retain their feather sheaths, and be curled or otherwise deformed. Red, ulcerated skin, often oozing pus, is a sign of a bird skin disease known as ulcerative dermatitis. This condition can be caused by things like intestinal parasites or a previous wound, and often becomes infected because the bird picks at the itchy lesions. Proper diagnosis of any bird feather or skin disease should be performed by an avian veterinarian. Depending on the specifics of the disease and its causes, your bird may require medication, a change in diet, or other treatment.
