rash?

HI
IM POSTING THIS TO SEE IF ANYONE KNOWS SOMETHING I DONT... :)
MY 16 MONTH GOFFIN STARTED GETTING ITCHY A COUPLS OF DAYS AGO... SHE IS ALWAYS VERY SWEET BUT LATELY SHES BEEN GETTTING MEAN... I GAVE HER A BATH TODAY WHICH SHE HATED... AND IVE BEEN TRYING ALL DAY TO SEE WHATS GOING ON WITH HER AS SHE WOULDNT LET ME GET TOO CLOSE....
NOW.. I WAS ABLE TO SEE UNDER HER WINGS AND SHE HAS LIKE A RASH.. IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE SHES BEEN SCRATCHING SO MUCH SHE HAS LITTLE SCABDS... AND LIKE I SAID SHE IS VERY ITCHY... I KNOW MOLTING SEASON IS HERE AGAIN BUT LAST TIME SHE MOLTED SHE DIDNT GO THRU THIS....
SHE EATING HER NORML DIET AND HASNT LOST ANY APETITE AND HER DROPPINGS ARE OK... SHE S JUST IN A BAD MOOD I GUES BACUSE SHES NOT COMFORTABLE..... SHOULD I TAKE HER TO THE VET?
THANKS
PAOLA

[Youkey Kuwahara, D.V.M.]

Yes!  Please bring your Goffin to a vet who specializes in birds.  Whether the itch is caused by his molting, parasites, bacterial, or a viral infection, it must be dealt with immediately.

Feather problems can be heart breaking  (not to mention unsightly) if not caught early and treated.  I had an umbrella cockatoo that picked and rubbed his feathers off habitually.  What started out as an infection led to a behavioral issue.  Most of his adult life he looked really awful in pictures.  Sporadic broken feathers poking out here and there, and the rest of his body was hideous as well.   Although sweet and healthy, he looked like I put him in the washing machine.

So before his rubbing becomes a habit, please seek out professional veterinary help and let’s ease his suffering by finding out the cause of his itchiness.

Good luck,
Dr. Youkey