Nonmedical factors associated with feather picking in pet psittacine birds.

A nested case-control study was performed to determine nonmedical risk factors associated with feather picking in psittacine birds. Forty-two case birds, reported by their owners to pick their feathers, and 126 unaffected birds were compared. The odds of feather picking were higher in 2 species categories, African grey parrots (Psitticus erithacus, adjusted odds ratio [ORadj = 8.4, P < .001) and cockatoos (Cacatua species, ORadj = 12.7, P < .001). The odds of feather picking also were higher for birds that were out of their cages more than 8 hours per day (ORadj = 7.4, P < .001) and for birds that had been taken in by the owner as a "rescue" (ORadj = 4.7, P < .01). The odds of feather picking decreased by almost 90% (ORadj = 0.1, P < .005) for birds that interacted with people at least 4 hours a day. These findings identify characteristics that practitioners may want to include when asking bird owners about behavioral history and may be useful in focusing future research regarding this behavior.

Surveys of avian practitioners and pet owners regarding common behavior problems in psittacine birds.

Avian veterinarians and pet bird owners were solicited to participate in online surveys to gather information about behavior problems in pet birds. A total of 84 avian veterinarians' and 203 psittacine bird owners' responses were analyzed. Behaviors with a high prevalence and a high level of owner concern, in descending order, were aggression, screaming, and feather picking. Veterinarians reported that the most common behavior problems presented to them were feather picking, chronic egg laying, aggression, and screaming, in that order. Most owners seeking advice went elsewhere before talking to their veterinarian. When consulted, most veterinarians recommended a combination of a medical workup, nutritional changes, housing changes, and environmental enrichments for these problem behaviors. Because owners do not often seek a veterinarian's advice, behavior problems exist in birds that are not being addressed by veterinarians. Advising veterinarians to question owners about problem behaviors at every visit will facilitate discussion and improve the treatment and welfare of pet psittacine birds.

Short-term survival and effects of transmitter implantation into western grebes using a modified surgical procedure.

Two pilot trials and one study in a closely related grebe species suggest that Western grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis) will not tolerate intracoelomic transmitter implantation with percutaneous antennae and often die within days of surgery. Wild Western grebes (n = 21) were captured to evaluate a modified surgical technique. Seven birds were surgically implanted with intracoelomic transmitters with percutaneous antennae by using the modified technique (transmitter group), 7 received the same surgery without transmitter implantation (celiotomy group), and 7 served as controls (only undergoing anesthesia). Modifications included laterally offsetting the body wall incision from the skin incision, application of absorbable cyanoacrylate tissue glue to the subcutaneous space between the body wall and skin incisions, application of a waterproof sealant to the skin incision after suture closure, and application of a piece of porcine small intestine submucosa to the antenna egress. Survival did not differ among the 3 groups with 7 of 7 control, 6 of 7 celiotomy, and 6 of 7 transmitter birds surviving the 9-day study. Experimental birds were euthanized at the end of the study, and postmortem findings indicated normal healing. Significant differences in plasma chemistry or immune function were not detected among the 3 groups, and only minor differences were detected in red blood cell indices and plasma proteins. After surgery, the birds in the transmitter group spent more time preening tail feathers than those in the control and celiotomy groups. These results demonstrate that, in a captive situation, celiotomy and intracoelomic transmitter implantation caused minimal detectable homeostatic disturbance in this species and that Western grebes can survive implantation of intracoelomic transmitters with percutaneous antennae. It remains to be determined what potential this modified surgical procedure has to improve postoperative survival of Western grebes that are intracelomically implanted with transmitters with percutaneous antennae and released into the wild.