Feathers

You gotta love those customers who feel like they need to give you an entire background story in order to ask a simple question.

I had a coworker call me over the radio, asking if I could come over and help a customer with birds.

Which usually means that the customer wants to get a bird. -Not my most favorite task in the store, that's for sure. 

So that was my expectation when I found the customer.

And upon asking her what I could help her with.
The customer proceeded to tell me that she had a parakeet.

It was 9 years old. 
Sweet thing.

-Which I was like...was she wondering how long they could live?

And the bird was in a cage with cockatiels. 

-Which. ()_() Why? At least he's alive.

But the parakeet had been by himself.

-Oh so you're looking to buy a companion?

Because his friend had died recently.
Recently being 2 years ago. 

And she'd gotten him another companion bird, much younger than him.
Because he was 9 years old. 

So I was like...were you wanting a third bird for when the 9 year old bird dies? 
Were you wanting to return the other bird?
What point are you trying to get to?

The point?

Apparently the parakeet, who is otherwise happy.
Is loosing the feathers on his chest. Like he's completely bald there. 
And the skin there has turned a brown color. 

But the bird was eating just fine and acting cheerful.
It was just missing the feathers on it's chest. 

*shakes head*

She'd come into the store wanting to know if we carried any medications she could give to the bird to help.

And I was like...."Not really" "You should take it to a vet." "I don't know I'm not a vet." 

Because really, I only deal with baby birds. They're usually under a year old. I don't know problems with older birds at all. 

Like if it's loosing feathers, either it's self plucking which is usually a sign of stress, or other birds are picking on it, or it could be mites, or it could be a number of other internal issues. 
But like. I don't know. 

But when I mentioned that I only carried a skin and plumage drops thing to put in the bird's food. 
She latched onto that idea, that that would help the bird recover. 

Which *shrugs* It might.
But really, if the bird is losing feathers and you don't know why....take it to a vet. Please. They would be able to better tell you what's wrong than a worker in a pet store.

-Sarnic Dirchi