# Question regridng feathers



## Alarna (Feb 17, 2018)

Hi everyone, 

My names Alarna i'm new here and my budgie is called Budge. 
I have had him for around 6 weeks now, not entirely sure how old he is. I brought him from a pet shop. 
What has really worried me is today for the first time he aloud me to lift the feathers around neck and underneath he has boldness, you wouldn't notice unless you lift the feathers everything looks normal to look at him. 
Within the last month he has become very itchy, i thought I haven't seen him bath so I have started spraying him with water, this has not seemed to help. He does have flakey skin ( I see tiny flakes come off him when he itches) So gave him minerals, he is also mouting i think as sometimes he has small white feathers come out. I spoke to the pet supplier they said the budgies do sometimes come in with lice but they spray every 2 weeks so he should not have come home with any, but i spayed him with Johnsons mite spray just in case. 
Any advice would be great please
Thanks


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## philw (Aug 22, 2014)

I definitely NOT use the mite spray. It can have toxic effects. An avian vet can give you a treatment that is safe, IF lice are the problem. Budgies have very sensitive respiratory systems and any spray except water are not recommended. If he's molting, as the new feathers come in, the material around every new feather will gradually flake off. Flakes are not a sign of mites/lice. Flakes are normal. I'm pretty sure that the flakes you're seeing are not any problem and budgies don't really have to bathe to be healthy.
I'd relax.


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## Alarna (Feb 17, 2018)

Thanks for the reply, what do you think about the boldness?


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hi Alarna, 

I doubt that he's bald  You can definitely see the skin under the feathers if you part them. That's normal. 

If he is moulting, he may have a few sparse patches of feathers, but those will soon grow in. The tiny flakes you see when he itches are the keratin sheathes the feathers come in, they fall off and are white and flakey when they do so and the feathers open. 

You should not spray him with any mite or lice spray, if it gets in his eyes or he ingests it it could hurt him. If you're worried that he has mites, you can take him into your avian vet for some peace of mind


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## Alarna (Feb 17, 2018)

Amazing, thanks so much. I was really worried


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