The iridescent nature of Simon is starting to shine through.
Maybe its the scrambled egg breakfasts. Perhaps its the zucchini lunches. It quite possibly could be the routine showers.
But whatever the reason, my little green quaker parrot is positively radiant. Not only has he managed to achieve a supermodel-quality glow, some of his feathers have started to come back in from where he plucked them.
Simon, when he came to me in April, wasnt on the best of diets. He was afraid of water and received his first bath in likely a long time during his short stay with a Phoenix Landing volunteer before I was able to pick him up.
Perhaps it was poor nutrition or the lack of showers in his previous home, but the veterinarian discovered Simons preening gland had dried up.
This little gland, located on Simons back near where his tail feathers jut from his little feathered butt, secretes oils. When it comes time for grooming, Simon is supposed to reach back there to get oil on his beak, which he then rubs over his feathers to condition them and his skin.
The vet prescribed at least three baths per week, a daily dose of red palm oil and a check-up sometime in August.
So shower play time has become all the more important. I sing. Simon dances (hes more of the head-bobbing wallflower type of guy). He even high-fives me with his beak. Hes come a long way from the heart pounding terror he exhibited when confronted with water when we first met.
I still would say shower time isnt Simons favorite, but he recognizes there is fun to be had. He willingly will enter the shower and sit on the suction cupped perch, catching the spray as I get myself clean. Then we play together in the water before I wrap him up in a towel for cuddles.
The towel is strategic. When Simon goes to the vets office, he likely will be wrapped in a towel during the exam. I dont want the sight of a towel to set him into a panic, so Im trying to associate good, positive and safe feelings with terry cloth.
Plus, cuddling this soaking wet, adorable creature in a towel while rubbing his head is the best.
As for the red palm oil, that one has caused some drama. There are two options for administering it: orally or by drizzling it on his food.
I decided to do it the harder way I didnt want Simon to dislike the oil and stop eating, and I want him to be accustomed to taking medications from a syringe in the event I have to medicate him in the future.
This oil congeals, much like coconut oil, so I put the bottle in warm water to turn it to a liquid and check to make sure it isnt too hot. Then I fill the syringe and coax Simon to stick the tip in his mouth.
He likes the red palm oil enough that he willingly does this. The only trouble came one morning when I was running late.
The taped line on the syringe is starting to come loose and, on this particular morning, Simon became obsessed with chewing the loose piece of tape. The problem compounded when the plunger on the syringe stuck, then gave way too quickly while Simons face was turned.
Orange oil shot up the side of his face.
I freaked out. Simon just looked at me like, Whats on earth is your problem?
Grabbing a damp towel, I tried to clean the orange goo from his face. And that is when Simon decided this was not what he signed up for.
As much as he loves to wipe his face on me, on the table, on his cage bars, it is unacceptable for me to wipe his face.
Simon took to flight to take care of the problem himself, yelling all the way back to his cage.
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Simon the quaker parrot learns to love new diet, shower time - Lynchburg News and Advance
