Specialty Program Titled: Another Feather Picker: That Sinking Feeling

This nine-hour program devoted to the topic of "Feather Damaging Behavior" and/or "Skin Mutilation Syndrome" in avian species demonstrated how our entire profession sympathizes with our clients on how frustrating and difficult these avian patients are to diagnose and find successful treatments.

Click here for the handout/algorithm in the search for the diagnosis of a feather picker. Click on any of the following numbers for each lecture details and Dr. Nemetz's interpretive summary. 

1. Anatomy and Physiology of the Normal Avian Integumentary (Skin) System

2. Etiologies (causes) of Avian Inflammatory Skin Disease

3. Histological Description of Avian Noninfectious Skin Disorders

4. Diagnostics in a Search for an Etiology to Feather Picking / Mutilation

5. Medical Therapy for Feather Picking Disorders

6. Self-injurious Behavior as a Model for Psychological Feather Damaging Behavior in Psittacine Birds

As this advanced program concluded there was unfortunately one overshadowing conclusion: The Avian Veterinary Profession has discovered a great deal of information regarding this syndrome from ten years ago, however we only have some of the answers and continued research is required.