What are on the body is the feather loss?
Where did it start and where did it progress to?
Does he seem to be picking the feathers out or doing any excessive grooming?
Are the feathers that remain in good shape?
Dr. Debbie
It sounds like a good place to start would be with a skin culture and find out if it is something infectious since it has been a chronic problem and is progressive. I think you definitely need to visit your veterinarian - most have a protocol to follow to rule out all medical causes of feather loss which include skin cultures, gram stains, basic bloodwork (CBC and chemistry) and checking for some common viral diseases such as polyoma and beak and feather virus. This usually takes about a week to get the results. The most common thing we usually see other than behavioral causes of feather picking is a positive skin culture. Usually this can be treated with antibiotics.
Let me know if you have more questions,
It would be hard to diagnose the virus without testing. Did they say which virus they suspected? Did they offer bloodwork or cultures?
Let me know this, and then I can let you know some things you can try.
Also, let me know if you have tried any behavioral modifications in the event it was behavioral feather picking.
Normally we would try an antibiotic such as enrofloxacin by mouth - we get it formulated in a fruitty flavored suspension. This has been typically the antibioitic that is the most broad spectrum and most of my positive cultures are "sensitive" to that antibiotic. There is not much you can do topically unless it is a parasite such as a feather mite. Usually this is pretty easy to see around the eyes and beak area.
As far as diet, Ideally, your lovebird should be on a purely pellet and veggie diet. All seed diets can cause low Vitamin A levels. It takes a bit of work on the owner's part to transition the bird over to this diet if they have been on a seed diet. We recommend spending 10 minutes or so a day doing some "foraging exercises" with the bird. This involves laying out some pellets on a towel with the bird, out away from the cage and distractions. If the wings are clipped, this should be considered (unless the bird is very tame). Then you just flip the pellets about and peck and click your nails together, etc., to simulate another bird feeding. Some lovebirds respond better by doing this in the palm of your hand with the bird perched on the edge. At any rate, once the bird is eating some of the pellets, the seed is removed, but the owner watches fecal output to make sure the bird is still eating something.
Vegetables can be introduced the same way. Slivered or grated veggies are more accepted by smaller birds. They seem easier to manipulate.
I still think at a bare minimum a fecal analysis, gram stain and skin culture would be a good idea.
Veterinarian
Full time practicing companion and exotic animal veterinarian