Support for Four Prolapsing Cockatoos

We often hear potential adopters say "I want a cockatoo that is cuddly." While those unfamiliar with the consequences of cuddling may think this is a desirable quality in any pet parrot, most of us in avian care and veterinary medicine cringe at that thought. The truth is, those cuddly traits can get the bird in big trouble when their human obliges and gives in to temptation.  One serious issue often created through touch and overstimulation of pet cockatoos is cloacal prolapse. 

To better understand cloacal prolapse, we need to know what purpose the cloaca serves for the bird.  Dan Johnson, DVM, DABV writes: "The cloaca (Latin for sewer) is the common opening for the urinary, reproductive, and gastrointestinal tract of birds.  Prolapses from the cloaca can be a serious and often life-threatening condition in birds. These may originate from the cloacal wall, reproductive tract, or intestine. Cloacal prolapse may occur secondary to chronic straining from masturbation, egg laying, space-occupying abdominal masses, and inappropriate weaning and social behavior. Prolapsed tissues are at risk of trauma, desiccation, infection, and ischemia. Affected birds should receive immediate medical attention. Prognosis depends on properly identifying the prolapsed tissue and initiating appropriate therapy in a timely manner. Because of their stoic nature, affected birds often behave normally. Birds with advanced lesions may present depressed, fluffed, and less vocal. Affected birds may exhibit inappetence, inactivity, or dyspnea signified by tail-bobbing or open-mouth breathing. There may be scant feces or droppings streaked with blood. Birds may appear to strain, groom excessively, or pick at the vent region, and there will be an intermittent or persistent mass protruding from the vent. Feathers around the vent will almost always be soiled with feces or urates. With concurrent Clostridium infection, there may be gas and offensive odor."

The Gabriel Foundation cares for many cockatoos, including a small flock of cockatoos with chronic prolapse.  We currently care for four birds with severe chronic prolapses: Kristy, Mango, Samm and Casper.  With this group we must pay particular attention to providing appropriate mental and physiological stimulation through environmental enrichment and exercise. We protect these birds from petting or stroking, or any human behavior that elicits cloacal straining, which sometimes includes even avoiding direct eye contact--all these behaviors will encourage further prolapse. Our staff has specific protocol for keeping the vent/cloaca clean as well as the surrounding tissues and feathers. 

Each of these birds requires additional veterinary intervention year-round.  Our chronically prolapsing birds are medically managed through a combination of the following treatments: hormonal injections, hormonal implants, cauterization to stop bleeding, insertion of a cloacal ring and surgical tacking procedures. They will be intermittently  on medications when needed for pain and/or Clostridium infections. Some birds might undergo 3-4 surgical procedures in a year. If the hormone injections fail, then implants become necessary. Year round behavioral modification is crucial to the birds' well-being. Bathing and tending the tender mass tissue, the inflamed cloaca, soothing the skin and feathers around the vent are required daily or every other day. Without this care, dried feces and urates will block the vent causing sepsis and death.

With precautionary and specific veterinary care, a  cockatoo with chronic prolapse can still enjoy a quality life with its cockatoo friends and activities. Over the past 25 years, over twenty prolapsed cockatoos have been placed with us due to the continued maintenance and care necessitated by this physical impairment. Without a doubt every one of the prolapsed cockatoos in our care developed this life-affecting problem from its former caregivers whose need to cuddle with the bird outweighed the damage caused.

Due to high veterinary costs and rigid behavioral adaptations, these cockatoos rarely find appropriate placement outside of our facility.  We currently have four cockatoos, three females and one male, with severe prolapses that need additional veterinary treatment multiple times every year.  Please help support our Cockatoo Prolaspse Fund which will help to offset the medical care and environmental needs for these four birds in 2018.